Rooney Scan

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Brought forward from the 14th June to the 7th June.

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NOT LOOKING TOO PROMISING

 

Sven-Goran Eriksson will not rule Wayne Rooney out of the World Cup despite asking for his scan to be brought forward to beat FIFA's final deadline.

 

Manchester United agreed to Eriksson's request to scan Rooney's broken metatarsal bone on June 7, a week earlier than originally planned.

 

This gives the England boss time to draft a replacement into his 23-man squad if the results rule the striker out.

 

Vibes from United today suggested Rooney's chances of playing in Germany were disappearing.

 

The club, for the first time, revealed his metatarsal bone has been broken in an area which involves a joint.

 

This complicates the injury and the recovery process but Eriksson refuses to abandon hope.

 

Eriksson said: "I'm always positive about it. I am always very optimistic and and still think he will play a part in the World Cup.

 

"I'm not worried. I don't think there's any change at all.

 

"I was in a medical meeting listening to the Manchester United doctor, the England doctor and the specialist together with Sir Alex and I don't think it's anything new."

 

Eriksson met Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United's Carrington training ground on Monday before England's training session at Old Trafford, where they play Hungary on Tuesday.

 

United released a statement after the meeting which said: "It has been agreed to obtain a further precautionary CT scan on June 7 in order to help the England management to make a decision before the deadline of June 9.

 

"Both parties agree that everything possible is being done to aid recovery of a fracture that involves the joint."

 

It was the first hint since Rooney cracked the fourth metatarsal bone in his right foot in two places on April 29 that the break involved the joint.

 

FIFA rules state an injured player can be replaced up to 24 hours before each country's first game - England open their campaign against Paraguay on June 10.

 

The obvious conclusion to draw from these crumbs of information would be that time is running out on Rooney.

 

But Eriksson remains upbeat, at least in public, insisting his injured striker can still go to Germany half-fit in the hope of playing in the later stages.

 

The Swede said Rooney could have one scan on June 7 and another on June 14 - and that maybe some stand-by players will travel to Baden-Baden with the squad next Monday.

 

No definite answers seem likely from the England boss, who has reached the end of his tether on the subject.

 

He is fed up with the fascination about Rooney's foot and compared it to the circus surrounding David Beckham's fight to be fit for the last World Cup in Japan and Korea.

 

Eriksson said on Monday: "After talking about it today I will not have any more comments about it because I don't think it's fair on the rest of the squad to only talk about Wayne Rooney.

 

"He is a very special football player, one of the best in the world, but we sometimes forget we have another 22 players in the squad.

 

"There is too much talk and writing about Rooney's foot. It was the same in 2002 about Beckham's foot.

 

"So, until the seventh I will not talk more about Rooney's foot.

 

"It is a pity he is injured but I feel a bit guilty. We have 22 other players in the squad and the only talk is of Rooney. It is enough now."

 

Eriksson has insisted since his B team's defeat against Belarus last week that he would start against Hungary with what he considered his strongest available team.

 

But, for the first time, he hinted this might not involve a 4-4-2 formation with Peter Crouch partnering Michael Owen up front.

 

Eriksson said: "We have decided exactly what to do but I'm not going to tell you until Tuesday. It will be what I think is the strongest team."

 

Asked whether it was a good chance for Crouch and Owen to work on their partnership, he added: "There's a lot of work to do of course. I'm not talking about those two but in general.

 

"We have the game tomorrow (Tuesday) and the game on Saturday. The two matches are very important to us."

 

Eriksson's most obvious alternative is to pack his midfield and play Owen as a lone striker.

 

This would give Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard the freedom to get forward from midfield and maximise their goal threat.