Kai Rooney will be absent from Manchester United's FA Youth Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace owing to an injury that ended his season. The promising youngster won't feature in the squad on Friday as United look to overcome Palace and secure a place in the final of the competition against Manchester City.
The 16-year-old has been taking his first steps towards emulating his father, Wayne, in England. Kai made his debut appearance at Old Trafford in January, coming on as a substitute as the Under-18s defeated Derby in the fourth round of the Youth Cup.
However, despite accumulating two goals and one assist in just 119 minutes of action under Darren Fletcher, the teenager won't don the famous shirt again this campaign.
The young Rooney informed his social media followers that he will miss the remainder of the season due to injury. He wrote on Instagram: "Disappointed to be out for the rest of the season. Back stronger next pre-season."
This unfortunate revelation is not the first occasion Rooney has shared his injury struggles online. Earlier in the campaign, the 16-year-old posted a photograph of himself in a medical boot and on crutches, encapsulating his feelings with the caption: "Life can't get worse."
Rooney's two physical setbacks have proved challenging for the youngster to manage as he strives to establish himself as the next star at Old Trafford. Nevertheless, the 2025/26 season has not been without its highlights for Kai as part of the U16s squad that claimed victory in the Super Cup NI.
That triumph has been accompanied by the immense pride Wayne must have felt as he witnessed his son make his Old Trafford debut in January. It was a welcome chance for the elder Rooney to watch his son in action, after Kai had previously banned him from attending his matches in person.
During her stint on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here in 2024, mother Coleen revealed that Kai had blocked Wayne from attending due to the attention he attracted. She said: "That's the thing with kids, I think, it's hard to go on days out.
"Kai told Wayne to stop coming to football games, when he played grassroots tournaments and stuff, because he used to get swarmed and he couldn't even watch the game."
Kai himself will now be forced to watch from the sidelines as the U18s push for a spot in the FA Youth Cup final.