Hamann questions Rooney as leader of fearless Man Utd attack

Wayne Rooney is badly out of form and may not get his touch back according to Dietmar Hamann.

The Manchester United captain is currently sidelined with an ankle injury but has been well below his best this term with just seven goals in 20 appearances, which includes a hat-trick in the Champions League.

In the wake of United's European top flight exit on Tuesday night, former Liverpool and Manchester City midfielder Hamann suggests perhaps the United attack struggles with Rooney but also felt his replacements and off-siders such as Juan Mata, Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay and Jesse Lingard are not quite up to it just yet.

"A bit part of the problem is Rooney. He's the top earner, he carried that attacking line for the last five or six years but he's clearly not in the same form anymore and I think there are major question marks over whether he is going to get it back," Hamann told talkSPORT's Colin Murray show.

"They brought in Memphis Depay, he came with a reputation but I think he's a player who turns up once or twice a month and you can't rely on him. Martial is still a young kid who is learning the game, Mata is in and out of the team and Jesse Lingard is a talented player.

"But it's not like Beckham, Giggs, Cole and Yorke. It doesn't put fear into teams."