Man Utd send assistant Giggs to scout Ghana striker Majeed Waris

Manchester United, 4/1 chances with Coral to win a major trophy this season, are keeping tabs on Ghana and Trabzonspor striker Majeed Waris, after tabloid reports emerged that assistant boss Ryan Giggs was sent to scout the player recently.

It is claimed Old Trafford icon Giggs had a watching brief as Turkish top-flight team Trabzonspor played Belgian outfit Lokeren 2-0 in the Europa League group stage. Waris, 23, failed to score in the encounter, however, and earned a yellow card.

This news follows rumours of an injury scare for Red Devils captain Wayne Rooney, who has missed the last three matches due to suspension. United face a derby at the Etihad against neighbours and Premier League champions Manchester City in their next outing, with odds of 3/1 for an away win.

Deadline day loan signing Radamel Falcao, meanwhile, missed the home match with Chelsea because of a problem picked up in training last time out. Given the sale of Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez being lonaed out to Champions League holders Real Madrid, the Red Devils are short in attack.

Waris is of a much lower profile than recent striking acquisitions, which include stand-in skipper Robin van Persie, and the likes of Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov further back. Any January move for him would see the attacker follow in the footsteps of fellow Africans Mame Biram Diouf, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Manucho and Quinton Fortune. Neither made much of an impact at United, however.

Black Stars understudy striker, Waris who played second fiddle to former Sunderland frontman Asamoah Gyan at the World Cup, could play for his country at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, further complicating a potential winter window move.

Waris netted nine Ligue 1 goals in 16 games on loan at Valenciennes last term, but was unable to save them from the drop. If the Red Devils are interested in signing up, then the player will have to make a significant step up.

United are odds-on at 4/5 to finish in the top four under Louis van Gaal, and thus secure Champions League football for the 2015/16 season.