Rooney fined over night out

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been fined a week's wages by the Premier League club for a night out over the Christmas weekend, according to press reports here on Monday.

Rooney was dropped by United ahead of their shock 3-2 home loss to Blackburn last Saturday, officially because of fitness concerns.

But several British newspapers reported that the star was punished for a below par training session on December 27 after a Boxing Day evening out with wife Coleen and team-mates Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson against team orders.

Rooney was fined approximately 200,000 pounds (310,000 dollars) with defender Evans and midfielder Gibson also fined, the reports said.

The trio were then ordered by manager Sir Alex Ferguson to come in on Wednesday - a day off - and train on their own as well as report for training on the morning of the Blackburn defeat.

Although the incident has revived memories of Rooney's threat to leave the club in October 2010 before he was handed a vastly improved club, several papers said the player's future at Old Trafford was not in jeopardy.

The Daily Mail cited sources with knowledge of the situation as saying Ferguson's punishment of Rooney would not have a long-term impact on the duo's working relationship.

United play Newcastle next Wednesday.