Ferguson rests Rooney for City clash

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has left Wayne Rooney out of his first XI and makes five changes for the Premiership …

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has left Wayne Rooney out of his first XI and makes five changes for the Premiership clash with Birmingham at St Andrews this lunch-time.

The England striker is named on the substitutes' bench having played two World Cup qualifiers in the space of four days against Wales and Azerbaijan.

Rooney, Mikael Silvestre, Gabriel Heinze, John O'Shea and Ryan Giggs are absent from the side which drew at home to Middlesbrough a fortnight ago.

Into the United starting line-up come Louis Saha, Alan Smith, Kleberson, Wes Brown and Quinton Fortune.

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Birmingham manager Steve Bruce has brought former United striker Dwight Yorke into the side alongside Emile Heskey.

Ireland striker Clinton Morrison (knee) joins Mikael Forssell on the injury list.  Julian Gray earns a recall at left-back in place of Jamie Clapham as Birmingham look for only their second league win of the campaign.