Rooney return delayed for two weeks

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Wayne Rooney faces another couple of weeks out of action and will miss next weekend's clash with Liverpool.

England striker Rooney has not featured since suffering a knee injury during training on Christmas Day and needs a little longer to recover fully, ruling him out of a crunch Premeir League showdown with the Reds at Old Trafford on Sunday 13th January.

Ferguson admitted: "It is not serious, but it is going to take longer than we thought, probably another two weeks. He won't be fit for Liverpool."

Meanwhile, Jonny Evans is more deserving of a rest than most at United ahead of this weekend's FA Cup third-round trip to West Ham.

Ferguson would have preferred to have rested a number of his key players, but is going all out to win the trophy this term for the first time since 2004.

And Evans might again have to answer the call to keep Sam Allardyce's side at bay, despite a breathless 12 months at the heart of defence.

The Northern Ireland international was recently rewarded for his performances with a new deal which will keep him at Old Trafford until 2016.

Evans has scored four goals this season and believes the spate of injuries to the United rearguard, most notably to Nemanja Vidic, over the last year, has played a significant role in his rise to prominence.

Evans says: "It has given me responsibility, maturity and helped me develop my game. I've picked up a lot from being in the team and playing a lot of games. I also think physically it's helped me develop.

"It's a big ask on your body, having to play that amount of games. Physically, I feel a lot stronger for it."

United are 7/1 to win 1-0 at Upton Park, 13/8 to keep a clean sheet and 13/2 to win the FA Cup for the 12th time in their history.

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