Brunt apologises for Rooney foul

Chris Brunt has apologised for the late tackle on Wayne Rooney that could yet consign the Manchester United striker to a period on the sidelines.

Brunt caught Rooney with “a naughty one” during stoppage time yesterday as United attempted to catch West Brom on the break in their 2-1 win at The Hawthorns.

The England striker immediately pulled up and medical staff decided he could not continue.

However, once on the sidelines, Rooney discovered Sir Alex Ferguson had made all three substitutions and rather than let his team battle through the last few minutes with 10 men, the 25-year-old rushed back on, even though he clearly was not moving freely.

In the immediate aftermath of the game, Ferguson expressed hope Rooney might be fit for Tuesday’s encounter with Stoke.

Even if that were the case, it would seem unlikely Ferguson will gamble with his star striker, especially as United’s next two opponents are Liverpool and Tottenham.

“It was a naughty one,” admitted Brunt, who was booked.

“I did catch him and I apologised.

“I don’t want to see anyone injured so I am glad he came back on.

“I was just hoping he didn’t get me back but he seemed alright and hopefully it is nothing serious.”

Certainly Rio Ferdinand did not appear too concerned and as the England skipper spoke, Rooney, rather delicately, made his way past, not wearing the protective boot his was forced to put on when he suffered the ankle injury in Munich way back in March from where his career went into a tailspin.

That also turned out to be the last occasion Rooney scored a goal in open play until the third minute yesterday, when he stooped to head home Patrice Evra’s curling corner.

“Hopefully that shuts a few people up and he can get back on with playing football and scoring goals, which is what he does best,” said Ferdinand.

“We all knew the goals would come because he is such a good player. Fingers crossed he can go on a good run now.”

As Rooney celebrated, Ferdinand could not have imagined life would become quite so fraught for United.

Once James Morrison had equalised with a sensational volley, West Brom were the better side.

But their hopes evaporated on two penalty decisions, the first inexplicably not given by referee Chris Foy when Gary Neville lunged in on Graham Dorrans, the second missed by Peter Odemwingie after Ferdinand had tripped Jerome Thomas.

Staggeringly, it was Ferdinand’s first foul since March.

“When I read that about a week ago, I thought it was a lie,” he said.

“I do try to nick the ball off people rather than going through them. But it is the nature of the job that sometimes you give away fouls.

“I can’t remember the last one but it wasn’t a penalty.

“I knew this one was and probably the one with Gary Neville was as well.

“But sometimes you need a bit of luck. The sign of a top team is that you take advantage.”

Javier Hernandez ensured United profited when he wriggled into space to nod home Rooney’s corner 15 minutes from time.

It was the Mexican’s eighth goal since arriving at Old Trafford and earned comparisons with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which he is understandably eager to play down.

Far more importantly, it earned his side a long-awaited second away win of the season and kept their noses in front of Manchester City and Arsenal, who meet at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, 24 hours after the Red Devils put their continuing unbeaten run on the line against Stoke.

“When you don’t win, people say we are not playing well,” said Ferdinand.

“In fact, we have probably played better than people give us credit for.

“Our problem has been that we have not managed to finish teams off.

“In the past, we have not been a team that has conceded goals late in games. We have done it in a few this season.

“Fingers crossed, we have turned the corner. We have started the new year in the right way. Hopefully we can continue that.”