The England striker, who has been sidelined for several
weeks, will miss Saturday's home Premier League game against Wolverhampton
Wanderers and Wednesday's derby at Manchester City.
"He is going on Saturday and will return the following
Saturday," Phelan told a news conference that he was attending in place of
manager Alex Ferguson who was ill with a virus.
"It might be in the interest of him and the club to
have a change of scenery. He has had a lot of attention lately so we are going
to give him the best possible opportunity that we can to be in good shape when
he returns." Rooney, who has been in the headlines for several months in
the run-up to signing a five-year deal to stay at Old Trafford because of
allegations about his private life and his poor form, has been struggling with
an ankle injury.
Phelan said Rooney would be under the supervision of
United's medical staff during his week at a training facility in Oregon, on the
west coast of the United States.
"He needs the conditioning, he can go there without the
attention he would get around here," said Phelan.
"If that goes according to plan, then he's available
when he returns." United are without several injured players for the
Wolves match, which falls on the day Ferguson celebrates 24 years at the club.
The 68-year-old manager, who has been feeling under the
weather since returning from Turkey midweek with a virus that has also affected
players including Anderson and Darron Gibson, would be at the game, said Phelan.
Portugal winger Nani misses out with a groin injury he
picked up in Tuesday's 3-0 Champions League victory at Bursaspor, while
midfielder Ryan Giggs is a major doubt having just returned to training after
an injury.
Phelan said Nani was feeling better than expected after his
knock and could be in contention for the Manchester derby.
There was even better news for midfielder Darren Fletcher,
though, who is in contention for a place on Saturday after showing
"positive signs" of recovering from his ankle injury sustained midweek.
After a shaky start to the season where on several occasions
United conceded late goals to draw from winning positions, they seem to have
tightened up after five consecutive victories in all competitions.
"We're starting to get a rhythm," said Phelan.
"We feel as if we might have got over these lapses of
concentration and we are getting more of a settled unit now and that is proving
in the performances and the results that we get."
