Manchester, England – Manchester United striker Robin van Persie was ruled out of Sunday's derby at Manchester City with a groin strain.
The Dutchman was a surprise omission from the line-up named by manager David Moyes, who will be hoping striker Wayne Rooney will carry on his good form after scoring three goals in his last two games.
“He had a groin strain in the week, we thought he might be OK but not quite,” Moyes told Sky Sports television.
“Up until this morning, we thought he had a good chance. Maybe he'll be OK for Wednesday.”
United host bitter rivals Liverpool on Wednesday in the Capital One Cup, where visiting forward Luis Suarez could make a return to action after serving a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season. – Reuters