Wayne Rooney has been passed fit for Manchester United's home game against West Brom.

There were fears that Rooney would miss the match at Old Trafford after he came off in the 88th minute of United's 3-0 defeat to Everton last Sunday following a kick to the knee.

But speaking to MUTV on Friday, manager Louis van Gaal confirmed his captain is available to play against the Baggies.

"Rooney is fit to play, it (the injury) was not so heavy as we expected," Van Gaal said.

Robin van Persie could start after scoring a brace in his second under-21 match following an ankle injury.

Phil Jones has returned to training this week after ankle troubles of his own but is unlikely to feature as he lacks match fitness.

The bad news for Van Gaal is that influential midfielder Michael Carrick remains out with a calf problem and Luke Shaw has been sidelined by another injury - this time to his groin.

Marcos Rojo still has an adductor injury and is therefore unlikely to play.

The week after returning from a six-match ban, Jonny Evans has suffered a nerve injury, which means Van Gaal may have to play Chris Smalling and Paddy McNair at centre-half again, as he did at Goodison Park.

"Shaw has a groin injury and Evans is injured also last week," the United manager told a press conference.

"He was six weeks not injured and then he can play and he is injured so that is unlucky."

With Rafael out for the rest of the season because of a rib injury, Van Gaal has five players unavailable.

That may seem bad but the problem was far worse at the start of the season. when the injury count ran into double figures.

Van Gaal blamed United's poor injury record on their three-week long pre-season tour of the United States, which was organised before he took over.

This week the club announced the squad would take part in a shorter tour of the US this summer, playing four matches in the International Champions Cup instead of five.

They will base themselves in two cities - Seattle and San Jose or San Francisco - rather than jet around the country as they did last year when they visited Los Angeles, Denver, Washington DC, Michigan and Miami.

Van Gaal, who had the final say on the schedule, thinks the tour will help United start next season better than they did this term.

"They have adapted to my criteria so we shall have a better preparation," the Dutchman said.

"We shall have two bases in the USA so we are not flying between the matches.

"We are going via a bus. That is better. The temperature is lower because we are on the other (west) coast."

Van Gaal's team only won three of their opening 10 matches, but they now need just six points from their final four games to achieve their goal of Champions League qualification.

The United boss has been happy with the team's progress - despite recent successive defeats - but he believes he could have been challenging for the title had it not been for their laboured start.

"We started very badly this year. When you cut the start of it we shall equalise Chelsea," Van Gaal said.

"But now we have to start better. Now we have to make the balance in our selection better, then we have to perform at the moment that it has been asked, better than this year."

Chelsea are 15 points clear of United, but Van Gaal does not think there is a huge difference in quality between Jose Mourinho's squad and his own.

Next year, the Dutchman insists, United will be serious title challengers.

"This year Chelsea is far above the other clubs. Next year it can be different," he said.

"Next year we will have a different squad. Not just us, but Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and all the other clubs who are battling for the first positions.

"There is not a big gap I don't think. You can judge that when clubs are playing against each other."

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