Louis van Gaal tips Wayne Rooney to shine against Manchester City

Louis van Gaal has backed Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney to shine when bitter rivals Manchester City come to town on Sunday.

With 11 strikes, the 29-year-old - who turns 30 on Saturday - has scored more derby goals than any other player in the history of this fixture, and the Dutchman says that his skipper will rise to the occasion once again.

"He will love this kind of match," Van Gaal told his pre-match media conference.

"I think all the great players love such a challenge, not only Wayne. It is the same for the other big players we have and that is also the case for the big players of Manchester City.

"It [how long he plays for] is dependent on the player. You cannot pre-judge that. It is dependent how he lives, how strong he is, how ambitious - it is dependent on a lot of factors. We have to wait and see."

The Red Devils, who sit third in the Premier League table, are two points behind leaders City.