Louis van Gaal has explained his reasons behind continually fielding Wayne Rooney in a midfield position, saying that the Englishman provides the team with better balance in his deeper role.

The Manchester United skipper has now gone nine games without finding the net, and has failed to even hit the target with a single shot so far this calendar year.

It had been suggested by Van Gaal in the build-up to last night's meeting with Burnley that Rooney could return to his favoured position up top, although he spent much of the 3-1 victory playing as a deep-lying midfielder.

"Rooney was one of the players who showed the best composure today," Van Gaal said in his post-match press conference. "You can put every week these questions but I have to decide.

"You can ask me every week and I have to compare with Falcao and Van Persie, Wilson and Rooney because these were the strikers for me. I have to look for the better balance and I think until now because of Rooney we have a better balance in midfield and I was very pleased how he replaced Daley Blind in the number six position.

"He showed composure and of course he was also today the Rooney that I want to see, but he has showed that he can play in every position. But maybe he can better play in a striker's position, but then I have a problem in midfield and then you are asking another question."

Rooney is United's third-highest goalscorer of all time, with 224 to his name during his 11 years at Old Trafford.