England-The wounded-Our chances now

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So whats our chances NOW of lifting the trophy. I would imagine that with our main striker out,at least,we will not now be lifting the trophy even though Brazil seem to be miles better than anyone else anyway. With Rooney the gap between the two sides wasnt all that big but how much is that gap now.Out for 6 weeks,World Cup starting in 6 weeks.Dosent bode too well for us now.I know its not just a one man team we are sending out there and that its not just ONE man than can win it for us but being honest about it were we not all reliant on Rooneys appearances. I fully expect Englands odds to lengthy because of yesterday. Heres hoping his injury can be healed sooner than is expected but it seems it took Rooney 10 weeks on a previous occasion with a similar injury to comeback so the odds on that happening are faint. Without Rooney our chances that were once previously very much "alive" have suddenly become somewhat ordinary. Would be great to win the Trophy now WITHOUT him but its going to be a daunting task now I think.

Whats your thoughts on this? Can we REALLY & TRULY still win the thing. Maybe,maybe not!

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Sven-Goran Eriksson is in danger of going to the World Cup without the player he rates as England's answer to Pele and another who he believes is "our best goalscorer without any doubt".

 

England's miserable preparations for the impending finals in Germany took another depressing turn on Saturday as new injury doubts were cast over Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen.

 

Rooney will be out for six weeks after breaking his foot at Stamford Bridge.

 

The 20-year-old was stretchered off during Manchester United's 3-0 defeat by Chelsea, having suffered the injury in a challenge for possession with Paulo Ferreira.

 

And, with England's opening World Cup game against Paraguay on June 10 exactly six weeks away, Eriksson's dilemma is now obvious.

 

Owen, meanwhile, made his much-anticipated return for Newcastle in the Magpies' 0-0 draw with Birmingham but limped off at full-time following his 28-minute substitute appearance.

 

It was the striker's first match since he broke his foot against Tottenham on December 31 and his fitness will be assessed on Monday.

 

"My foot does not feel right," Owen told the News of the World. "I felt something go after 10 minutes. But it's not the kind of pain I experienced when I needed a second operation.

 

"I will have to go and see the surgeon. Until then I don't know how serious it is. It doesn't feel perfect.

 

"Is it pain? I don't know how to explain it. There is a numbness there.

 

"It wasn't a crack or the pain I felt when I first did it on New Year's Eve. But it is obviously not ideal. As far as the World Cup is concerned it is much too early to say."

 

Chelsea skipper John Terry also needed extensive treatment after taking a kick on the shin from Rooney in the first half.

 

However, Blues boss Jose Mourinho said: "Rooney's tackle on John Terry was a very nasty one but he will have 10 stitches and be ready in one week."

 

There is also cause for concern about England's left-back berth with Fulham manager Chris Coleman revealing Wayne Bridge has a hamstring problem.

 

Fully fit, Bridge would be an automatic choice in Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad and, with doubts remaining over Ashley Cole's fitness, could yet be the Swede's first choice left-back.

 

However, it appears Bridge is far from being free of pain and, while the extent of the problem is not known, it is restricting his performances.

 

"Wayne has a tight hamstring," said Coleman. "It is a bit uncomfortable for him and he is not getting into the final third as much but he is still doing a good job for us."

 

Right-back Gary Neville seemed to limp off at the end of United's defeat by Chelsea, though it is not thought to be a serious injury.

[Gate Watcher]

I think it is worth taking a gamble and picking Rooney for the squad. If we get to the last 16 he could be 80% and even then he would be worth a place in the side. Maybe if we could stumble into the quarters or the semi finals he could be ready to go too. Worth taking him. I think we will manage until we come up against one of the top 6 or 7 sides in the world but when we play them we need a bit more and that is Rooney. IF we get Germany in the second round I think we would manage but then in all probability we will be sweating on Rooney being back for the quarter final in order to maintain a chance of winning it.

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Steven Gerrards negative comments.

 

England midfielder Steven Gerrard fears it will be "impossible to have a successful World Cup without Wayne Rooney" after the Manchester United striker fractured his foot.

 

The Liverpool captain is concerned Rooney could now suffer the same World Cup injury horror he himself experienced four years ago.

 

Rooney was carried off at Chelsea on Saturday and subsequent x-rays diagnosed a broken fourth metatarsal in his right foot.

 

The most optimistic outlook is that he will be out for six weeks, which would take him right up to England's first group match against Paraguay on June 10 in Frankfurt.

 

Rooney's participation in Euro 2004 was ended early when he broke his fifth metatarsal in the same foot - and on that occasion he did not play again for 10 weeks.

 

"Any team without Wayne Rooney isn't as strong. In my eyes he is one of the world's best players now at 20," said Gerrard, who is one of fellow Scouser Rooney's closest friends in the England squad.

 

"It would be a disaster for England if we had to go to the World Cup finals without Wayne. He is idolised around the country and is our main man.

 

"I think it is impossible to have a successful World Cup without Wayne."

 

Gerrard knows only too well the anguish of being ruled out of a World Cup with injury as he had to withdraw from the squad that went to the Far East in 2002 because he needed a groin operation.

 

"I know Wayne will be desperate to go, so fingers crossed he can recover quickly from this," added Liverpool's inspirational captain.

 

"Hopefully he won't have to go through what I went through in 2004. From experience I can tell him that it is a nightmare back home watching a World Cup on the TV."

 

Joe Cole, another of Rooney's England team-mates, insists the striker can defy medical experts to play in Germany.

 

Cole's heart sank when he saw Rooney carried off. The Blues midfielder knew it looked bad and he instantly thought about the World Cup.

 

Cole said: "Knowing Wayne he will be back quicker than predicted by the medical team because that's the sort of character he is."

 

He added: "The game was gone by then and everyone in the stadium just thought: 'Oh no, the World Cup, is Wayne going to be all right'.

 

"He's a mate and you don't want to see anyone get injured, especially at this time with the World Cup around the corner.

 

"That would probably have been the first thing that crossed his mind.

 

"I wish him all the best. It was a nasty collision, Paulo (Ferreira) didn't mean it, and I hope he's back and fit because he's brilliant. He's one of the best in the world for me.

 

"But whatever they tell him he'll be out for, I'm sure it will be half that or three-quarters of that because he's got that winning character."

 

Sir Bobby Robson, meanwhile, believes England have gone from "possible World Cup winners to outsiders" following Rooney's injury.

 

"The news about Wayne is depressingly sad," former England boss Robson told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme.

 

"Without him we've gone from possible World Cup winners to outsiders. You cannot replace Rooney. I don't think there's another player like him in the country or in Europe.

 

"He's a very special player and without him our chances are dim. Undoubtedly England are outsiders without him.

 

"People who win World Cups are top individuals. Who won the World Cup for Argentina in 1986? I'll tell you - it was Diego Maradona."

 

Initial estimates are that Rooney will be out for six weeks, meaning he could yet figure in the knockout stages with the World Cup due to start in 40 days.

 

But he was out for 14 weeks after sustaining a similar injury during England's Euro 2004 campaign and Robson has called for clarification on when the 20-year-old will return.

 

The former Newcastle boss insists that Rooney must be taken to Germany if there is a chance he will figure beyond the group stages.

 

"We need top medical advice. We need a decision on how long it will take for him to recover," he said.

 

"If it's two weeks does that mean he can play within six weeks, or does it mean six weeks recuperation time and then he can start training?

 

"If it's six weeks out then he can't make it. But if he's playing within six weeks then you take him. We have enough quality to beat the teams we will face in the group matches without him.

 

"What you need is your top players for the quarters, semis and final. That's when Rooney becomes crucial. If you can get him back for the quarter-finals then you take a chance and take him.

 

"You take five strikers anyway and one could be a lame duck right until the end."

[margateshot]

Rep of Ireland said that when Keane was sent home and look what they did.