Wayne Rooney handed crushing transfer blow as under-fire Plymouth boss deals with injury crisis ahead of January window

Plymouth are looking to attract new investors in order to inject cash into the team ahead of the upcoming January transfer window, however, any such new deal has to be first approved by the EFL. The situation means Rooney looks to have little chance of being able to bring in reinforcements in January to strengthen the squad. Amid the cash crunch at the club, the manager is also dealing with a major injury crisis as he is currently missing the services of five key players including captain Joe Edwards, goalkeeper Conor Hazard and forwards Ibrahim Cissoko, Morgan Whittaker and Muhamed Tijani, according to The Sun.

The Manchester United legend has endured a tough start to his journey with the Championship side as the team have managed to win just four out of their 18 outings thus far and are languishing in the relegation zone. It is believed that the ex-England international could face the sack if things do not improve in their next couple of fixtures.

Earlier this month, reports emerged that the club's home fixtures against Oxford and Swansea could prove to be make-or-break for the 39-year-old, however with Oxford's visit on Saturday getting cancelled, Rooney got some much-needed breathing space to shake things up at the Pilgrims.

Rooney's men, who have won just one game in their last nine outings, will aim to get back to winning ways on Tuesday as they take on Swansea in the Championship.