Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will meet chief executive David Gill today as he seeks to avoid Wayne Rooney's Old Trafford exit plans becoming a "saga".

The England striker issued a statement yesterday saying the reason he wanted to leave the Premier League club was their lack of clout in the transfer market. The previous day, Ferguson had spoken frankly of his shock at the player's decision.

"I haven't read the whole (Rooney) statement. We will consider it all tomorrow," Ferguson told a news conference after their 1-0 win over Bursaspor in the Champions League.

"David Gill and I have a meeting at 10 tomorrow morning. David has spoken to the owners tonight which is important. What is really important is for us to put it to bed, we don't want it to become a saga.

"Sunday's game against Stoke is the most important thing. This is a bagatelle, believe me."