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Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney have picked up the Barclays monthly honours for October - and their respective clubs come face to face at Old Trafford on Sunday, although Rooney has been ruled out with an ankle injury.

All eyes will be on Old Trafford this weekend as October's Barclays Manager of the Month Mark Hughes plots to halt his former club Manchester United from continuing their recent high-scoring form.

Blackburn Rovers are no slouches themselves this season but Hughes may be relieved that October's Barclays Player of the Month, the prolific Wayne Rooney has been ruled out by an ankle injury sustained in training.

Hughes claimed his first ever Barclays Manager of the Month award after Blackburn won all of their Barclays Premier League matches in October, while r United striker Rooney earned the Barclays Player of the Month accolade after scoring four goals in three Barclays Premier League games during the month. (In all competitions, Rooney has scored eight goals in his last seven games).

Guided by the former United striker and Wales national team manager, Rovers scored eight goals in October with victories over Birmingham City (2-1) and Reading (4-2) at Ewood Park, and Tottenham Hotspur (2-1) at White Hart Lane when Christopher Samba smashed home the winner in injury-time.

Hughes becomes the first Blackburn Rovers manager since Brian Kidd in December 1998 to win the award, as the Lancashire club consolidated their position in the top six, maintaining an impressive record that has seen them lose just one Barclays Premier League match this season.

Rooney started October with his first goal of the 2007-08 campaign during a resounding 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic. He then chipped in with three more goals as United recorded further victories over Aston Villa (4-1) and Middlesbrough (4-1).

The choice of award winners was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football's governing bodies, the media and fans.



MARK HUGHES Fact File:

* Mark Hughes OBE was born on 1st November 1963 in Wrexham, Wales.

* Hughes made his first team debut for Manchester United in 1983. Three years later he was sold to Barcelona for ?2 million before returning to Manchester United in May 1988. Hughes later had stints with Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and Blackburn Rovers.

* During a distinguished playing career, Hughes won two league championships, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and two UEFA Cup Winners? Cup medals.

* He was appointed manager of Blackburn Rovers on 15th September 2004, taking over from Graeme Souness. Hughes led the team to the semi-finals of the FA Cup in his first season.

* Mark Hughes? Barclays Premier League managerial record reads: Played 119, Won 49, Drawn 29, Lost 41.


WAYNE ROONEY Fact File

* Wayne Rooney was born on 24th October 1985 in Liverpool.

* After coming through the ranks at Everton, scoring 15 goals in 67 appearances, Rooney signed for Manchester United on 31st August 2004 for an initial fee of £23million, the highest transfer fee ever paid for a teenager.

* Rooney became the youngest England international of all time after making his debut against Australia in February 2003 at the age of 17 years and 111 days. Seven months later, he became England?s youngest goal scorer.

* Rooney currently has 40 international caps for England and has scored 14 goals.

* He has played a total of 157 games for Manchester United, scoring 65 goals.

* This season, Rooney has made 11 Barclays Premier League appearances and scored six goals.

* Rooney has been ruled out for up to four weeks after sustaining an ankle injury in training. It means he will also miss England's potentially decisive Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia at Wembley on 21 November.