Manchester United No2 Mike Phelan says there's no point bemoaning Wayne Rooney's absence for Saturday's defeat to Chelsea.

Phelan admits Rooney could have made the difference, however, given his form.

"Obviously you miss his goals. In the box, in and around the box he's a threat, that's the season he's having but we have other players who can do those things," he said.

"It's just in the nature in the game that we didn't really get going in the first half and that was probably the turning point to be 1-0 down but like I say, the second half we came out (at) the Stretford end kept us going, kept bringing us onto the game and we were a different team and I thought we were unlucky."