As Manchester United travelled to Stoke for their sixth game of the Premier League season, spirits were high. On the back of a 3 - 1 victory over Chelsea and a 3 - 0 thrashing of rivals Leeds in mid-week, United would have felt confident of taking home three valuable, table-topping points against a tough Stoke City team, even without the vital Wayne Rooney in the side due to a hamstring strain. (English Premier League, Injuries, Manchester United, Stoke city, Wayne Rooney)