Arsenal legend Ian Wright has backed Manchester United's Wayne Rooney to bounce back in style from his latest run in with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Press Association Sport understands Ferguson did fine Rooney, and Republic of Ireland international Darron Gibson, and forced the pair to train on their day off last week after ill-advised conduct on Boxing Day night.

Rooney did not even make the substitutes' bench for the 3-2 home defeat to Blackburn on New Year's Eve.

However, Wright expects the England striker to "bounce back with at least a goal against Newcastle in the Premier League on Wednesday before scoring again to help knock Manchester City out of the FA Cup on Sunday."

"Alex Ferguson has hardly surprised me," he wrote in his column for the Sun.

"Not for the first time, at a crucial part of the season, the Manchester United manager has given a key player an almighty boot up the a**e.

"Despite not actually breaking a curfew, Fergie is clearly unhappy Rooney went out at night and then trained badly the next day.

"This episode involving three United players - Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson were also there - was clearly unacceptable for Fergie and true to form, he has acted swiftly.

"What the Old Trafford manager has done is send a clear message out to the team, particularly the younger lads, in terms of the standards that have to be met.

"We have seen many times before, most notably with Roy Keane and David Beckham, that Ferguson is afraid of absolutely no one."

Wright does concede that from a short term point of view, the move to drop Rooney may have backfired as a depleted United side still lost 3-2 at home to Blackburn, but he thinks the act could have a more positive impact on United's fortunes in the long run.

"I think for Rooney, it will make a difference and he will return more focused," Wright wrote in the Sun.

"In the past, Rooney has always done well in pressurised situations and I expect him to play well over the next few weeks.

"Yet to deliver for United you need to be bang on form. To perform at your very highest level, you have to train well - and it was Fergie's view that this wasn't the case for Rooney on that specific day.

"This incident is yet another example that the modern player has to be so careful when socialising.

"Ferguson seems to have eyes and ears all over the North West and if a player dines out - even if he behaves himself - then Ferguson will know about it.

"If you are unconvincing in training the next day, then you have had it.

"George Graham was very similar when I was at Arsenal.

"Say I went out with Tony Adams and Kevin Campbell, the manager would even have known which drinks we'd ordered let alone our actual location."

Both the club and the player's representative have refused to confirm whether Rooney was axed from Saturday's 3-2 defeat to Blackburn as part of his punishment.