Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to leave Rooney out of his starting line-up to face Real Madrid could have major consequences for the striker's United career.
David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy were both dispensed with in such a fashion, while Roy Keane and Jaap Stam discovered that big reputations count for little when Sir Alex Ferguson reaches a significant conclusion.
Michael Owen: "For Rooney not to start is a real kick in the teeth and it's got to be a big worry for him.
"It's the biggest game of the season and the manager has shuffled his pack and not included him.
"Wayne will take it one of two ways.
"He will either get his head down, try to improve and force his way back into the team, or he'll think, 'The manager has not picked me for the biggest game, he obviously doesn't fancy me', and it might not be the end of the story.
"When I was at Manchester United their relationship was very good, they talked, shared jokes and there were no problems whatsoever," said Owen.
"I would be surprised if it was something of that nature [a falling-out], but the decision to leave him out isn't going to help if it is that.
"If Wayne Rooney moves, where does he go to? Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Chelsea and PSG, there's only half a dozen teams."