Manchester, Sept 25: Wayne Rooney has a slim chance of returning to the first team action for Manchester United's Capital One Cup tie against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

The 26-year-old trained for a week and is gearing up to fight for a place in Sir Alex Ferguson's starting XI. Rooney suffered a nasty gash on his right thigh during the game against Fulham at Old Trafford.

In case he is not fit for the clash against Newcastle, he could well make the squad for the match against Tottenham on Saturday. But will Ferguson reshuffle his squad with Rooney's return?

Ferguson should be content with his sides performance so far in the new season. However, the win against Liverpool was unlike Red Devils usual style of play.

United's £24 million signing Robin van Persie, the Premier League's top-scorer so far with five goals in five games, has cemented his place upfront ahead of other strikers Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez.

Rooney was also dropped on the bench against Fulham last month, following a poor performance at Goodison Park which United lost 1-0 against Everton on opening day.

With four to five strikers fighting for a place upfront along side Van Persie, Rooney can only hope to find his best form sooner than later and convince Ferguson that he can still be a great threat to opponents.

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