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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to play Wayne Rooney in Wednesday’s Champions League Quarter Final second-leg tie against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford seemed nothing short of an act of desperation. 

Rooney had rolled his ankle over in the final moments of United’s loss to Bayern in the first leg in Munich and the severity of the injury was immediately clear.

Dismayed though they must have been by their last minute 2-1 loss to the German squad, the Mancunian contingent, club and supporters alike, must have been utterly crestfallen upon witnessing their talisman hopping miserably off the pitch under aid as Bavarian euphoria engulfed the Allianz Arena.   

A sprain was subsequently confirmed and initial reports suggested that Rooney would be out of action for three to four weeks.

The timing could not have been worse.

Desperate people do desperate things

United were forced to play their next league match, a mighty and much anticipated showdown with Chelsea at Old Trafford, without Rooney, who convalesced in the hospitality box, a mere spectator. 

The resulting 1-2 loss to the Londoners must have confirmed what many have speculated: Without Rooney, who has 34 goals in all competitions this season, United’s twin paths to Premier league and Champions League glory would be strewn with trouble and strife.

With the return match against Bayern looming and, thanks to the intricacies of the away goals rule, needing only a single, unanswered goal to progress to the Champions League Semi Finals, Sir Alex opted to play Rooney against the Germans at Old Trafford.

It was a decision undoubtedly borne of desperation. Who would dare dispute that earlier in the season, or in a lesser tournament, Rooney would have been allowed ample time and then some for recuperation?

Rooney is out again,…a proper recuperation this time?

Despite their 3-2 win over Bayern at Old Trafford it is Bayern who progress to the Champions League Semi Finals, having won the tie on the away goals rule.

United are left with only the Premier League to fight for now. They’ll do so against Blackburn Rovers this weekend once again without Wayne Rooney, though. Rooney aggravated his ankle injury in the second Bayern match.

Sir Alex will likely feel less pressure to play his star until the ankle is ready. A run in of five wins from here on will probably be required if United have any chance of winning the league since they cannot count on Chelsea faltering. Yet falter Chelsea must if United are to catch them.

No pressure on Rovers

Blackburn Rovers meanwhile have little to lose in the match this weekend, other than the match itself that is.

Rovers find themselves in 11th place in the league and although relegation is a statistical possibility, it’s an unlikely outcome. With only two losses in their last eight games, and four wins and two draws in that same stretch, Sam Allardyce’s men find themselves on not too bad a run of form.

They’ll be disappointed, however, to have shared the points in a goalless draw with league bottom-feeders Portsmouth last week, and will likely see that outcome as an opportunity squandered.

They’ll be glad, however that the match against United this weekend is at home. Blackburn hasn’t beaten United since 2006, but they did so then at Ewood Park.

All the pressure on United

The run in to the end of the season will not be easy for Manchester United.

They have the Manchester derby ahead of them next weekend, and the following week they play Spurs. The final two matches of United’s season are Sunderland and Stoke.

None of these matches can be considered an automatic three points, and the Manchester derby in particular could well prove to be the ultimate spoiler of Manchester United’s ambitions this season.

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