Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho hinted at relegating his skipper, Wayne Rooney, to the bench ahead of the club's highly-anticipated clash against Premier League champions Leicester City on Saturday.

Rooney was singled out for United's recent problems, which saw them lose three straight games in a week's time. The 31-year-old was left out of the squad during United's Europa League loss to Feyenoord last week. The 20-time English champions go into the weekend after bouncing back midweek with a 3-1 win against lowly Northampton Town in the League Cup.

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Addressing the situation and the catch-22 that he finds himself in, Mourinho categorically stated that Rooney will enjoy no privileges, despite wearing the captain's armband or being only four goals short of being United's highest goalscorer. "In football, everyone is the same and if he has to go on the bench, he goes on the bench; if he has to stay at home, he stays at home. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t trust him or you have a problem. Not at all. We have no problems. He is our captain, but of course, no privilege – he is like anyone else,” Mourinho said, as quoted by The Guardian.

The Portuguese manager also singled out the recently held England-Slovakia World Cup 2018 qualifier for Rooney's sudden loss of form, blaming squarely on the criticism that his player suffered after the game. Mourinho said, “Honestly, I think there was a Wayne before the Slovakia-England and a Wayne after the Slovakia-England,” Mourinho said. “And I am not blaming [England manager] Sam [Allardyce], not at all. I am blaming the people who after the England–Slovakia were, in my opinion, too strong with somebody that is a very important player in the history of English football".

This is not the first time that Rooney has suffered a loss of form or attracted criticism from pundits and Manchester United fans alike. Mourinho expects Rooney to bounce back strongly from the situation, which is viewed as a bit of a crisis. He said, “That’s what he tries every time. When he is on the pitch he always gives 100%.