United will survive Wayne’s wound

Manchester United 3 Fulham 2

The fact that Rooney will miss the next four weeks with the injury sustained in a challenge with Hugo Rodallega in injury time on Saturday will take some of the attention away from the fact the England striker was not picked in the first place.

While a similar incident 12 months ago would have left us wondering, and United fans fretting, about what might happen next, thanks to the wonderful performances of Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie, we already know.

Alex Ferguson claimed that Rooney and van Persie both being short of fitness was the reason why the Dutchman started and the former, who was deeply unimpressive in the 1-0 defeat at Everton in United’s opening match, did not.

But that decision — plus what went afterwards, with United looking as free flowing as they have in a year — indicated plenty about what lies ahead for the Old Trafford club.

It suggested that once Ferguson, who could replace Michael Carrick with Jonny Evans or Phil Jones at centre-back at Southampton, has some more defenders back, his menacing promises about United’s goal difference may well prove true.

Tom Cleverley and Anderson have not played together since their four starts coincided with United wracking up 18 goals at the start of last season.

Neither is overburdened with positional discipline and Ferguson has spent much of pre-season talking up Carrick’s influence but the United manager now faces an interesting choice about his direction.

And recalling the joy he was given in the early weeks of last term, it may mean that it is Carrick that is sitting where Rooney was for much of the Fulham game.

Even if Rooney had not spent Saturday night inhospital, the showing of van Persie and Kagawa meant it would have been a surprise to see him start at St Mary’s on Sunday, so impressive were the two new additions.

During his six-month goal drought in 2010, Rooney was never made to feel like this and the contractwrangle, which ended with him getting a hugely-improved deal later that year, only underlined his importance at Old Trafford.

But on this evidence he will not be particularly missed.

After Damien Duff followed up the news of his international retirement with a fine finish, van Persie went even better with a wonderful glancing half-volley that spun past Mark Schwarzer.

Kagawa tapped in from close-range for a second and the impressive Rafael headed in a third before Nemanja Vidic’s own goal set up an unnecessarily tense finish after David de Gea’s error. But Ferguson will be confident such shakiness will be eradicated once he gets defenders back.

Kagawa, a £17m summer capture from Dortmund, dazzled in an advanced role that saw him play off the Dutchman, collecting balls in the hole and always looking like he could slide a pass through as he converged on the area.

He said: “We pass the ball sideways a lot but I want my team-mates to pass the ball forward to my feet. I need to speak to them about this.”

It is an indication of van Persie’s sheer quality that there has been no adaptation period since his £22m signing from Arsenal and he has also warned there is far more to come.

“We’ve been training every day, the training sessions have been very good with all the guys,” he said.

“It’s still a process, I have to get used to them and they have to get used to me because I’ve only been here a week and so we have all the time in the world and I don’t want to rush into things.

“I will get fitter by playing games basically, so I still need a couple of weeks before I’m fully match fit.”

Fulham manager Martin Jol is confident he can resolve any issues with Clint Dempsey if the American winger remains at the club beyond the transfer deadline but admits he is relieved to be keeping hold of the outstanding Moussa Dembele.

Manchester United: De Gea 6; Rafael 8, Vidic 7, Carrick 7, Evra 7; Valencia 8, Cleverley 7, Anderson 7 (Giggs 81), Young 6 (Welbeck 68, 6); Kagawa 9 (Rooney 68, 6), van Persie 8.

Subs not used: Evans, Lindegaard, Hernandez, Scholes.

Fulham: Schwarzer 7; Riether 6, Hangeland 6, Hughes 7, Briggs 6; Diarra 6 (Baird 81), Dembele 8; Kacaniklic 6 (Sidwell 62, 6), Ruiz 7, Duff 7; Petric 7 (Rodallega 72).

Subs not used: Kelly, Kasami, Stockdale, Halliche.

Referee: K Friend (Leicestershire).