Gary Neville not surprised by Wayne Rooney inclusion for Manchester derby

Gary Neville has admitted that he is not surprised by Wayne Rooney's inclusion for Manchester United's trip to local rivals Manchester City this afternoon.

The United skipper has been recalled to the side after missing three games through suspension.

Former Red Devils captain Neville told Sky Sports News: "You would think that Louis van Gaal is sticking with the same formation, so Rooney will be in midfield. He's preferred him over [Juan] Mata and he'll give more strength and power to United's midfield.

"When it comes to big games away from home, [Mata] has struggled to influence them so I'm not surprised he's gone for the more powerful option. He could have left Adnan Januzaj out and chose the easy option."

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