Manchester United will be buoyed by Wayne Rooney injury update

Not every Manchester United fan is a fan of Wayne Rooney, but there's no doubt the club are looking thin up front without their captain.

So, even if the 30-year-old has only contributed in fits and starts this season, his latest injury update should come as a positive for the club. Rooney was pictured without his knee brace for the first time since being sidelined last month, sparking rumours he could return for much of the Premier League run-in. The Manchester Evening News has posted a photo of the player on the road to recovery, suggesting he could yet return before the end of March. Rooney has missed United's Premier League matches against Arsenal, Watford and West Bromwich Albion, as well as the FA Cup victory at Shrewsbury and both legs of the Europa League clash with FC Midtjylland. In his absence, and with team-mate Anthony Martial also picking up a knock, youngster Marcus Rashford has burst onto the scene with four goals in his first two matches for the club, though he failed to net in his last two appearances. A late-March return for Rooney would still see him miss both legs of the Europa League last 16 meeting with Liverpool and the FA Cup quarter-final against West Ham, while the Manchester Derby on March 20 may come too soon for him. He could return for England's upcoming friendlies against Germany (March 26) and the Netherlands (March 29).