Manchester United are sending Wayne Rooney for a week's conditioning work in the United States in a bid to ensure he is fully fit for a first-team comeback.

Rooney is presently sidelined by an ankle injury and manager Sir Alex Ferguson does not expect his star striker to be back in action for another three weeks.

But rather than use the state-of-the-art facilities at their Carrington training base, United have opted to use Nike's centre in Oregon, as much in a bid to get Rooney away from the constant headlines, which have dogged him since first news of his unhappiness at Old Trafford was raised nearly three weeks ago.

"What we are intending to do with Wayne is send him to Nike Town in the USA for a week's conditioning training," confirmed United assistant-manager Mike Phelan.

"We have decided, with Wayne, the medical team and the coaching staff that it would be the best thing for him.

"He is going on Saturday and will return the following Saturday.

"It is a week's intensive conditioning, under the supervision of our medical team and our sports' science department."