Rooney plans to banish the Blues

LONDON - Wayne Rooney plans to make amends for the worst season of his life by firing Manchester United to a crucial victory against fading champion Chelsea on Tuesday.

By his own admission, Rooney has been well below his best as he struggles to cope with a distracting combination of issues in his private life, recurring injuries and the fall-out from a contract row that nearly brought a premature end to his time at Old Trafford.

In recent weeks, Rooney has finally shown glimpses of the form that made him Europe's most feared striker for much of last season, but even then he hasn't been able to avoid negative headlines.