Alex Ferguson last night expressed his doubts that Wayne Rooney would play any part in the World Cup, with Manchester United privately insistent that the striker would have to have fully recovered from the metatarsal fractured at Stamford Bridge before they would sanction his release for the tournament.
Club and country will monitor the 20-year-old's rehabilitation over the next month, with initial diagnoses suggesting it will take Rooney a minimum of six weeks for the broken bone in his right foot to heal.
Yet United's focus will remain firmly on ensuring their striker is fit for next season. Ferguson acknowledged his absence would be a "crippling blow" for England but the club would be reluctant to allow him to travel to Germany if any doubts remained that his participation could merely worsen the injury and prompt further time on the sidelines.
"You never know but, at the moment, I doubt that he'll take part because of the recovery time," said Ferguson before last night's Premiership match against Middlesbrough. "When you see brave players staying down after a tackle you know it's genuine and he's in pain, and that's what I felt with Wayne. At first we didn't think it was too bad, but when we sent him for the scan it identified the problem and we realised what a blow it was for the boy and for England. Fortunately for us we'll only be without him for two games but, without doubt, it's a crippling blow for England.
"I've tried to get hold of Sven (Goran Eriksson) so I can give him as clear an opinion from us as possible because he'll be reading a lot of stuff in the newspapers. We've spoken to the England doctor and I think it's important that I give as much as information as I can to Sven to make sure he's absolutely clear on what road he can take. Wayne will be in plaster for the next few weeks and he'll be having regular scans to see how it's healing."
Ferguson said too much was being asked of Rooney. "I said a few weeks ago that I didn't want to see this kind of pressure on a lad of 20 years of age. Other more experienced players such as David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville should be taking the mantle."
Eriksson must name his provisional World Cup squad by May 8th and his definitive list by May 15th, after which a player can be replaced if he is still injured within 24 hours of the side's first match. A Fifa circular sent to all 32 participating associations confirmed that leeway - the English FA are awaiting clarification on the point - allowing Eriksson to monitor Rooney's fitness right up to June 9th, the day before England play Paraguay, and then call in a replacement if he deems the striker will not be fit to feature in the tournament.
That does at least offer Eriksson a back-up should Rooney fail to recover, though Ferguson will address the issue with him nearer the time. He is aware of the need to balance Rooney's desperation to play for his country against the need to ensure his complete recovery from the fracture, though the potential of a clash of opinions with Eriksson and those at Soho Square remains a possibility.
Guardian Service
