MANCHESTER -- Louis van Gaal has insisted he will not drop out-of-form captain Wayne Rooney by saying the striker has more credit in the bank than anyone else at Manchester United.

Van Gaal said he will consider giving Rooney, who has only missed one United match this season, a break if he thinks the 30-year-old is tired.

But he did not blame Rooney for United's goal drought, which has lasted 325 minutes after three successive 0-0 draws, and said England's record scorer remains a role model for his teammates.

"I still have confidence in Wayne Rooney," Van Gaal told a news conference.

Rooney has only scored two goals in his last 16 Premier League games but Van Gaal believes it has attracted more attention than other players' records because of the forward's high profile.