Wayne Rooneyhas denied he dived to get Bastian Schweinsteiger sent off during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich on Tuesday, claiming he could have been badly injured after the German had “gone in with his studs”.
The incident occurred in the closing seconds of the Champions League quarter-final, first leg at Old Trafford. Schweinsteiger, who had been booked earlier and scored Bayern’s 67th-minute equaliser after Nemanja Vidic’s goal, lunged at Rooney and although he appeared to make minimal contact with the striker, but the referee, Carlos Velasco Carballo, deemed it a second yellow card offence, so issued the 29-year-old with the red.
An unhappy Schweinsteiger twice spoke to Rooney about the incident before walking off. The former Everton striker did not want to be drawn on what was voiced.
“I don’t really want to say what he said but I think it’s a foul,” Rooney stated. “It could have gone either way. He could have hurt me, he’s gone in with his studs and the referee has booked him, so it’s not my decision. It’s not nice to see anyone sent off and I didn’t try to get him sent off. The referee has made a decision. I’ve tried to stop myself getting hurt and the referee has had a decision to make.”
Schweinsteiger is suspended for the return leg at the Allianz Arena on 9 April, along with Javi Martínez, although with Mario Götze, who was rested, and Dante to return Pep Guardiola has options available.
Rooney said that although Bayern would miss the suspended pair, “they have got a great squad and players who will come in”.
However, Rooney believes that Bayern can be exposed by getting in behind them. “They play a high line and with a little more composure we can exploit that,” he added.
