:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48850435/GettyImages-510033648.0.jpg)
O captain! Our captain!
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United's captain, main striker and top goalscorer this season, will miss an indeterminate chunk of the season after sustaining a knee injury against Sunderland last Saturday. Speaking to the press ahead of tomorrow's game against Danish side FC Midtjylland, Louis van Gaal confirmed his absence, but would not be drawn on how much of the season he might miss.
More on Rooney from the boss: "You can never say [how long he could be out for]. He has a knee problem so we must wait and see." #MUTV #mufc
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 17, 2016
He'll certainly miss tomorrow's game, and while Van Gaal was vague, other outlets have not been so coy. The Manchester Evening News reckon that the injury is ligament damage and he could miss up to two months, including the home game against Arsenal at the end of the month, the Manchester derby, and a trip to White Hart Lane. Not to mention a sprinkling of cup games.
It also means that he's unlikely to break Bobby Charlton's scoring record this season, which in turns makes it likely that he won't be gadding off to China over the summer. How you take that conjecture will be very much a matter of personal taste.