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Manchester United's Wayne Rooney fit to face Southampton

Wayne Rooney has been passed fit to return to the Manchester United side at Southampton on Sunday.

Rooney, 29, missed last Saturday's 3-1 win over Liverpool in the Premier League and the 2-1 Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday with a hamstring injury he sustained on international duty with England.

The Red Devils have been short of specialist strikers, with midfielder Marouane Fellaini leading the line against Liverpool before £36 million summer signing Anthony Martial made his full debut in Netherlands on Tuesday.

However, United boss Louis van Gaal revealed on Friday that Rooney, the third highest scorer in the club's history, is available again.

"Wayne is fit to play," he told MUTV. "He's only had one week out. It was because we weren't taking any risks with him. He has had his treatment so I think he can start."

Rooney is on his longest ever Premier League drought after failing to score in his last 10 games in the competition, although he managed a hat trick last month in the Champions League against Club Brugge.

Martial scored as a substitute on his debut against Liverpool, but the teenager may be back on the bench again now that Rooney is able to return to the side.

"I have to judge every week if I can use [Martial] or not," Van Gaal added in his news conference. "A player of 19 years old is not fully developed. That is the reason I say that. That doesn't say I don't count on him in certain places. It is dependable on all the possibilities I have."

Phil Jones, who is yet to feature this season after suffering from thrombosis, is nearing a return.

"Jones has come back and trained with the group for the first time," Van Gaal added. "He's not match fit but he's fit to train."

Luke Shaw, who broke his leg against PSV, is currently United's only injured player.