Koeman confident Southampton ready for both Rooney and Fellaini

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman is eagerly anticipating Sunday’s Premier League encounter with Manchester United and has insisted it does not matter for his side whether Wayne Rooney or Marouane Fellaini start up front for Louis van Gaal’s men. 

Rooney missed United’s last two matches due to injury and was replaced by Fellaini in the 3-1 win over Liverpool last Saturday, before the latter watched the majority of the 2-1 loss versus PSV from the bench in midweek due to illness.

England international Rooney is now ready to make his comeback, but Koeman is not interested in who will be the United No.9, stressing Southampton will play their own game.

“Manchester United are always a team that try to play football, try to play football from the back. Normally they have good ball possession,” Koeman told the official Southampton website.

“It of course depends on whether Rooney or if Fellaini will play as the striker, but the intention from the Manchester United team is always to control the game and to dominate. 

“But we have our own style of play. They will play different if it is Rooney or Fellaini up front, but that doesn’t mean any difference for our team.

“We know what we have to do to beat them and we have to show the quality to get the three points at home.

“We have to be confident. If we are not you can’t win. You have to show your qualities and your belief in a good result on Sunday.”