Rooney's knee injury allowed Marcus Rashford to burst onto the scene, and manager Louis van Gaal paired the two together here.
With a question mark over his England place, Press Association Sport looks at the impact made by Rooney on his comeback.
WORK-RATE
With Rashford up front, Rooney played in a deeper role
He did not over-exert himself but popped up on both wings and in the area on occasion and did not appear to struggle with the pace of the game prior to being replaced by Jesse Lingard with 23 minutes remaining.
GOAL THREAT
Playing in midfield meant Rooney did not offer the threat he might have done had he been up front
His first chance came with 10 minutes remaining in the first half but his curling shot from outside the box was comfortable for Brad Guzan
Rooney's best opening came early in the second half but his lay-off showed in a heavy touch when a sharper one might have seen him clean through.
OVERALL IMPACT
Rooney was given a very warm reception when he came off, showing how pleased the United fans are to see him back
Understandably he was fairly quiet to start with but grew in influence as the first half wore on and it was his raking pass out to the right that allowed Antonio Valencia to set up Rashford for the only goal
Another subtle pass might have created a second for Juan Mata
Overall, a positive first outing for the England captain.
Source : PA
Source: PA