Rooney starts for United

Wayne Rooney returned to the Manchester United starting line-up for this afternoon’s encounter with West Ham at Old Trafford.

Rooney has recovered from the groin injury which kept him out of Wednesday’s win at Stoke and replaced Anderson, with Adnan Januzaj returning for Ashley Young.

United were looking to avoid suffering three successive league defeats on home soil since 1979 and faced a Hammers side including Ravel Morrison, who made three substitute appearances for the Red Devils before being moved on after a string of disciplinary problems, on and off the field.

Man Utd: De Gea, Rafael Da Silva, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Jones, Cleverley, Valencia, Rooney, Januzaj, Welbeck.

Subs: Giggs, Hernandez, Young, Fletcher, Kagawa, Buttner, Johnstone.

West Ham: Adrian, Demel, Tomkins, Collins, McCartney, Noble, Diame, Taylor, Morrison, Jarvis, Maiga.

Subs: Rat, Collison, O’Brien, Diarra, Jaaskelainen, Carlton Cole, Joe Cole.

Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)