Manchester United
From the archives: Ruud van Nistelrooy’s last game for Manchester United did not feature Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo
Here is a look into Ruud van Nistelrooy and his last game as a player for Manchester United and it didn’t feature Ronaldo or Rooney.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s commanding presence is back at Old Trafford. The iconic striker is now the interim manager of the Red Devils after Erik ten Hag’s recent sacking.
Safe to say, van Nistelrooy has also started well – both off-court and on-court. Sporting a turtle neck with a blazer, the Dutchman has been oozing aura in the touchline, while also unlocking United’s offense in the very first game against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup. His next game against Chelsea ended in a 1-1 draw.
Going back in time, we take a look at Ruud van Nistelrooy’s last-ever game as a Manchester United player, and how the lineup looked – against Middlesbrough in the May 1, 2006 English Premier League fixture. The lineup did not feature Cristiano Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney. Here is how the XI looked:
GK – Edwin van der Sar
The legendary shot-stopper was in between the sticks. He was in his very first season at the club. The Dutchman went on to play for the Red Devils until 2011.
RB – Gary Neville
One-club man Gary Neville was into his fourteenth season for Manchester United. The English full-back, like van der Sar, played for the Red Devils until 2011, eventually announcing his retirement.
CB – Wes Brown
Another United veteran who left the club in 2011. However, Brown played professional football until 2018, with a notable 5-year stint with Sunderland.
CB – Rio Ferdinand
The immense Rio Ferdinand made 312 appearances for Manchester United in the league. The Englishman left the club in 2014 and joined Queens Park Rangers on a one-year deal. Ferdinand hung up his boots in 2015.
LB – Patrice Evra
Patrice Evra was one of the most important pieces in Sir Alex Ferguson’s last years at the club. The Frenchman went on to play for the Red Devils until 2014, before moving to Juventus. He retired in 2018, having last played for West Ham United.
CDM – Mikael Silvestre
Silvestre was in his last years at Manchester United. He left the club in 2008, after nearly 10 years, and joined rivals Arsenal. He retired in 2014, having last played for ISL club Chennaiyin FC.
CDM – John O’Shea
John O’Shea’s career at Manchester United was underrated. The Irishman, after almost 13 years at the club, left for Sunderland in 2011. After over 7 years at Sunderland, he ended his career after one year with Reading, in 2019.
LW – Ryan Giggs
Another one-club man. The Welshman is one of the greatest midfielders in the history of the English Premier League. He retired in 2014.
RW – Park Ji-sung
Three-lung Park was in his first season at Manchester United. The South Korean went on to play for Manchester United until 2012, before moving to QPR in 2012. He retired in 2014.
ST – Louis Saha
Louis Saha’s contributions to Manchester United can never be forgotten. He left the club in 2008.
It is worth noting that Rooney and Ronaldo were on the bench that day.
Manchester United
Broken Eye Socket Sidelines Manchester United Women’s Star: Expected Healing Time and Return Date
Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has suffered a fractured eye socket that could sideline her for several weeks, dealing a significant blow to the Red Devils’ momentum in both domestic and European competition.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce Fractures Eye Socket
The 29-year-old sustained the injury during United’s Women’s Super League clash against Aston Villa on November 11 in an accidental impact that required immediate attention after the match.
While she escaped without a concussion, further medical assessments confirmed the fracture, forcing her to miss Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain and Saturday’s 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City.
Marc Skinner confirmed after the PSG match that Tullis-Joyce had experienced “a little bit of irritation” around the affected area. She was spotted on the pitch before kick-off wearing sunglasses and talking with teammates, highlighting the sensitivity to light that typically accompanies this type of injury.
Expected Recovery Timeline
Recovery timelines for a fractured eye socket typically extend several weeks, with rest and protection crucial to ensuring safe healing before a return to competition.
Despite the concerning diagnosis, Skinner struck a cautiously optimistic tone ahead of the Manchester derby. “She should be fine, it’s just trying to make sure she doesn’t get another knock in that area,” the 42-year-old coach said on Saturday.
Impact on United’s Title Push
The timing couldn’t be worse for Manchester United. Tullis-Joyce has been in arguably the best form of her career this season, establishing herself as one of the WSL’s most reliable goalkeepers since inheriting the number one spot following Mary Earps’ departure in summer 2024.
Her absence forces United to rely on backup goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel, who impressed in her second senior appearance against PSG but remains relatively inexperienced at this level. The 3-0 derby defeat to City, where Middleton-Patel deputised again, exposed the defensive vulnerability created by Tullis-Joyce’s absence.
United currently sit third in the WSL table with 17 points from nine matches, but their fixture list intensifies significantly over the coming weeks. Beyond Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Wolfsburg, they face a crucial run of domestic fixtures that could define their season.
Internationally, the injury also disrupts Tullis-Joyce’s upward trajectory with the USWNT. After making her senior debut in April 2025 against Brazil, she’s been a regular in Emma Hayes’ squads and had positioned herself as a genuine contender for future major tournaments. With the United States set to face Italy in a doubleheader on November 28 and December 1, her availability remains uncertain.
Manchester City
Manchester United Women Suffer Unwanted Record for the First Time in 18 Months after Lackluster Display Against Manchester City
Manchester United Women endured their most toothless attacking display in 18 months during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, failing to register a single shot on target for the first time since facing Chelsea on May 18, 2024.
Despite controlling 60% of possession at the Etihad Stadium, United failed to test City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita once across the entire 90 minutes, managing just 11 shots with none finding the target.
Defeat in the derby. pic.twitter.com/6KImmqLhTj
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) November 15, 2025
It’s a damning indictment of Marc Skinner’s side, especially considering they came into this fixture as the only team with a perfect away record in the WSL this season. That unblemished run is now history, blown apart by Andree Jeglertz’s side who delivered three first-half goals through Rebecca Knaak, Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp.
Creativity Vanished When It Mattered Most
The absence of injured goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce certainly didn’t help defensively, but United’s attacking woes can’t be blamed on personnel. Jess Park started against her former club, Ella Toone was in the lineup, and Melvine Malard came off the bench. Yet none of them could fashion a single effort that genuinely troubled Yamashita.
United dominated possession but lacked any penetration in the final third. When they did manage to get shots away, it was either blocked, wayward, or hit straight at City defenders.
The worrying part is this wasn’t just a one-off. United collapsed 3-2 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League midweek despite initially leading 2-0, and now they’ve followed that up with arguably their worst attacking performance of the season.
Manchester City
(Photos) Not For the Faint-Hearted: Nasty Head-On Collision in Manchester Derby Leaves Stars With Lumps
Manchester United‘s Simi Awujo and Manchester City‘s Jade Rose caused a lengthy stoppage in the dying moments of Saturday’s derby after a brutal clash of heads competing for a goal-line clearance.
Medical staff immediately rushed on to carry out concussion protocols, with Awujo eventually forced off whilst Rose was cleared to continue post treatment.
Sickening Head Clash Stops Manchester Derby
The incident marred what had already been a punishing afternoon for United, who lost 3-0 to their cross-city rivals to fall seven points behind City in the WSL title race. Goals from Rebecca Knaak, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp handed City a comfortable victory, extending their unbeaten run to eight consecutive matches.
Jade Rose Shows Battle Scars on Instagram
Despite the severity of the collision, Rose appeared in good spirits afterwards when teammate Alex Greenwood snapped a photo showing the defender’s sizeable forehead bump. Rose posted the image to Instagram, writing: “Can’t say I didn’t put my body on the line.”
Manchester City Women’s Statement Victory
After tonight’s statement victory, City now sit four points clear of second-placed Chelsea, having played a game more, whilst United are stuck in third position seven points adrift of their rivals.
Jeglertz expressed delight at his first derby triumph despite the intensity. The Swedish manager particularly praised his side’s defensive solidity after keeping a clean sheet.
On the other hand, Manchester United boss Marc Skinner was left frustrated by his team’s individual errors.
United had been dealing with a tight turnaround after beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday, when Awujo had made her first start in European competition before the unfortunate collision ended her afternoon prematurely.
Read more: Arsenal Women vs. Tottenham Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
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