WAYNE ROONEY HAS been told he is not guaranteed a place in the Manchester United team when he returns from injury – due to the form of Javier Hernández, according to the Guardian today.

The Mexican has scored three times in his past two games while Rooney recuperated in Dubai this week after a fresh ankle injury.

Ferguson now insists that the England striker faces a battle for his place – despite his freshly-inked and lucrative new contract.

His [Hernández's] performances have dictated that.  We had a feeling he would break through and, therefore, it gives you a [selection] problem, but the right kind of problem.

It will be difficult [leaving Hernández out]. I’m not even suggesting he will be left out. He’s keeping his place in the team because he deserves to keep his place in the team.”

United face Spurs at home tomorrow and Ferguson spoke at yesterday’s weekly Old Trafford press conference of the need to ‘kick on’ now that Rooney’s transfer saga has been settled. He added:

It’s all over, it’s all left in the past. He’s signed a five-year contract, we’re happy and we kick on. There have been plenty of difficult issues at this club over the years. You could say this was a big one but only in the sense it was a top player.

Plenty of players come to a situation with their contracts. The difference is that they are normally done very quietly and unnoticed.

But every club has these problems, once the players get to that two-year line when you have to start thinking about how to deal with it. All these issues are there for everyone these days. It’s just much more difficult than it was even three years ago.

Edwin van der Sar, 40 today, is set to become the first postwar player of that age to play for United but Ferguson will be missing two of his more experienced players, with Ryan Giggs due to resume training after a hamstring injury on Monday, and a similar problem expected to keep Michael Owen out for up to five weeks.

Former England striker Alan Smith, writing in the Telegraph says Rooney may, indeed, find it difficult to oust the Mexican – who is already a cult hero for the red half of Manchester.

It is not just his goalscoring ability, it is the willingness of Javier Hernández to work hard for the team, to track back and fill in when the need arises.

As confirmed by Gary Neville recently, the Mexican striker is blessed with a ferocious work ethic that can only help his progress at Manchester United.