Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson faces a battle lifting Wayne Rooney ahead of their Champions League opener with Rangers. Rooney, 24, was left in Manchester as United conceded two injury-time goals to draw with his former club Everton.
After spending the night with the United squad at the Lowry Hotel - scene of his liaisons with a £1,200-a-night prostitute - Rooney was told he was not in the right mental state to return to his Merseyside roots.
A United source told the Sunday Mirror: "Wayne will be given the time he needs to rebuild his family life. Sir Alex has been counselling him and a decision to leave him out of the Everton game was only made on the morning of the match.
"The training session the squad had on Friday was even geared towards Wayne playing alongside Dimitar Berbatov."
