United manager Sir Alex Ferguson overlooked Rooney in favour of Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck and, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat by the Spanish side that sent United out of the Champions League, the decision was tactically vindicated.
Rooney's omission led to widespread media speculation that his days at Old Trafford were numbered but former England manager and United assistant boss Steve McClaren does not think he will leave the Premier League leaders.
"I know Wayne Rooney and all he wants to do is play football and win, all he wants to do is win trophies. He is a winner and there is no better club to be at than Manchester United if you are a winner. He won't want to leave unless told he can leave," McClaren told Sky Sports.
"Sir Alex will have spoken to Wayne about the reasons why he was left out against Real Madrid.
"It was a decision made in the best interests of United winning the game. United have so many big games and Wayne will be involved. At the moment I cannot see his future beyond Manchester United.
"There's only one way to go when you leave United and that's down."
Former United striker Michael Owen said leaving Rooney out against Real would have been a "real kick in the teeth" for the front-man, but given his patchy recent form and the glut of attacking options at his disposal, it is by no means certain that Ferguson will start him against Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Van Persie has established himself as United's top striker, scoring 22 goals since arriving from Arsenal last year.
Ferguson is a big fan of Welbeck's pace and work rate, while the livewire Javier Hernandez, a regular scorer against Chelsea, provides another potent attacking threat.
The 27-year-old Rooney has been United's heartbeat and main inspiration for over eight years.
The suspicion remains that 10 years as a Premier League forward have taken their toll on Rooney's body and Ferguson has never been af
