Rooney yet to return to training

Manchester United have scotched reports that Wayne Rooney has returned to training.

Rooney suffered an ankle injury in a training-ground accident a fortnight ago and was immediately ruled out for four weeks by manager Alex Ferguson.

It was not expected the England forward would figure again for the Red Devils until the crunch Premier League visit to Liverpool on December 16.

However, reports emerged overnight that the 22-year-old had been given the green light to start training again – way ahead of schedule – and could even be involved in Saturday’s Premier League trip to Bolton, where he scored a hat-trick last season.

The news has come as a surprise to United officials, who felt Rooney was still some way off a comeback.

Sources inside Old Trafford have today confirmed Rooney is still undergoing treatment and has not resumed training.

It leaves Ferguson with the same striking conundrum for the Reebok Stadium visit – because Carlos Tevez is not due back from World Cup duty with Argentina until Friday morning, while Louis Saha’s fitness has not exactly been something United have been able to rely upon this season.