Manchester United have sent Wayne Rooney for some warm-weather training in a desperate attempt to get him fit for the 19 January trip to Chelsea.

The manager David Moyes confirmed both Rooney and his strike partner Robin van Persie will miss Saturday's Premier League encounter with Swansea at Old Trafford.

Moyes said Van Persie would still be absent for "a little while" with a long-standing thigh injury but he is hoping Rooney will respond to the better temperatures.

"We have sent Wayne away on a hot-weather break," said Moyes. "His groin has not quite recovered yet. We have sent a fitness coach with him. He's away with the family. Hopefully we will get him fit for Chelsea."

Rooney has missed United's defeats to Swansea and Sunderland in the last week, having had a scan on his groin injury last Friday.

Van Persie has not featured since the home defeat by Newcastle on 7 December, his only game since the middle of November. "Robin is not available," said Moyes. "He is going to be a little while. We are doing everything we can to get him back as quickly as we can."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, refused to be drawn on reports of renewed interest in Rooney. The Blues had two bids for Rooney rejected in the summer and there has been speculation Mourinho is ready to pounce and take advantage to snare the England striker if United fail to qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season.

Asked about Rooney, who is entering the final 18 months of his contract at Old Trafford, Mourinho shook his head and insisted he was not prepared to speak about a player from a team Chelsea are scheduled to face at Stamford Bridge a week on Sunday.

"I don't want to speak about it," Mourinho said. "We play Man United in a few days. I don't think it's nice to speak about a Man United player. You have to ask him (Rooney). You have to ask the player. And Man United because Man United has a contract with the player that doesn't end at the end of the season."