MANCHESTER United may be without a number of key players for the trip to Turf Moor tomorrow, but it still might not be enough to earn Wayne Rooney just a second league start of 2017.

The 31-year-old has become an increasingly peripheral figure at Old Trafford in recent months, much to the surprise of Sean Dyche.

Jose Mourinho could be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic after his knee injury in the Europa League clash with Anderlecht on Thursday night, but Dyche doesn't believe the injuries or the fact the Red Devils played 120 minutes in that tie will have too big a bearing on the outcome tomorrow.

"They're not short of options without a shadow of a doubt," the Clarets chief said. "The one everyone thinks is not that good any more, I think he's decent, the boy Rooney, I always think he ain't bad.

"I certainly think if they chose to play him, I don't think he would let anyone down.

"Is it helpful if they have some injuries? Of course because if players are playing regularly under a manager like Jose Mourinho, it suggests he's picking them for a reason. But does it mean there's not other good players there, of course it doesn't, they're still a fine side no matter what side they put out."

United head to East Lancashire on a 22-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, but that has included 10 draws and they remain outsiders in the battle for a top four spot.

Mourinho has bemoaned the fact his side have dominated many of those draws, and it is a claim Dyche has some sympathy with, having been one of the sides who claimed a point at Old Trafford when Tom Heaton made 11 saves in the goalless draw in October.

"Some of the games there, including the one against us, they’ve been outstanding. We hung on, made saves, blocks, etc," he said.

"They’ve had quite a few of them, especially at home because their away record is excellent. At home they’re scratching their head.

"Jose said early season about that, he wasn’t crying it in, I thought he was right, he said he couldn’t believe how they hadn’t won games.

"Luck still exists even at that top level, because there’s some games you’re scratching your head how they haven’t won it.

"Equally you can look at it either way, is it the demand on making sure they won it, if you’re creating chances take them, or is scratch of luck that brings that extra little bit of belief even at that level?"

Even if United scrape into the top four there will be no title for Mourinho in his first season at Old Trafford.

No side has won back-to-back title since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at United, and Dyche believes it is becoming harder to sustain that level of dominance.

"You can’t say it’s over but I think the challenge has got harder, although it was hard then to win leagues," he said.

"It will be interesting to see if anyone can. I think there was maybe that thought immediately with Pep going in at Man City, hit the ground running, win the league, that shows how hard that is.

"Klopp after their start, can they go and win it? They can’t all win it and they can’t all win it every year.

"I’m not sure about the longevity of it because managers chop and change now, so will the continuity be there to win and win year on year on year. It will be interesting to see."