MUFC
30-04-2006, 08:00 AM
Wayne Rooney's World Cup dream suffered a potentially shattering blow when Manchester United confirmed the striker will be out of action for six weeks after breaking his foot in the Premiership clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
A short statement released by Old Trafford revealed Rooney had broken the 'fourth metatarsal on his right foot'.
"Wayne Rooney has fractured the base of the fourth metatarsal on the right foot and he will be out for six weeks," said the United statement.
England's World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 10 is exactly six weeks away.
When Rooney fractured the fifth metatarsal on the same foot in the Euro 2004 quarter-final defeat to Portugal, it was 10 weeks before he played again.
Rooney, 20, who was stretchered off in the 3-0 defeat by the champions on Saturday, travelled back to Manchester with his team-mates before heading straight to a private hospital where the precise extent of his injury was diagnosed.
He suffered the injury in a challenge for possession with Paulo Ferreira in the 79th minute.
And, despite the reassurances of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who claimed after the game he had been told by United staff Rooney was 'okay', the initial fears as Rooney was taken down the tunnel have now been confirmed.
And, with England's opening World Cup game just six weeks away, national coach Sven-Goran Eriksson faces a major dilemma over the player's selection.
However, Rooney is such a key figure in an England side widely tipped to challenge for the trophy, Eriksson may deem it a risk worth taking him even though the former Everton star will definitely miss the final two matches of Manchester United's domestic programme and England's pre-tournament friendlies against Hungary and Jamaica.
Adding to Eriksson's problems are doubts over the fitness of Rooney's striker partner Michael Owen who played his first match this year for Newcastle on Saturday after injuring his foot on December 31.
Owen came on as a second-half substitute in the 0-0 draw at Birmingham and played for half an hour.
But the striker admitted he required another scan on his injury on Monday.
Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder admitted Owen was still 'not happy' with the injury, but insisted he is not a doubt for the World Cup.
He said: "Michael came into the dressing room after the game and said he was still not happy with it, and he will have a scan on Monday.
"It's a concern but I don't want it to be blown out of all proportion. As far as I'm concerned he is still going to go to the World Cup. Players have scans all the time and it should not be a worry."
Chelsea's England centre-half John Terry survived an injury worry when he was caught by Rooney's studs in the first ten minutes of the Stamford Bridge match and required 10 stitches to a cut on his lower right foot.
The Blues captain continued playing but was walking on crutches after the match and is unlikely to feature in the champions' penultimate match of the season at Blackburn on Tuesday.
Terry was concerned for his England team-mate Rooney.
"I just tried to go in the dressing room to see him but security wouldn't let me," said Terry.
A short statement released by Old Trafford revealed Rooney had broken the 'fourth metatarsal on his right foot'.
"Wayne Rooney has fractured the base of the fourth metatarsal on the right foot and he will be out for six weeks," said the United statement.
England's World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 10 is exactly six weeks away.
When Rooney fractured the fifth metatarsal on the same foot in the Euro 2004 quarter-final defeat to Portugal, it was 10 weeks before he played again.
Rooney, 20, who was stretchered off in the 3-0 defeat by the champions on Saturday, travelled back to Manchester with his team-mates before heading straight to a private hospital where the precise extent of his injury was diagnosed.
He suffered the injury in a challenge for possession with Paulo Ferreira in the 79th minute.
And, despite the reassurances of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who claimed after the game he had been told by United staff Rooney was 'okay', the initial fears as Rooney was taken down the tunnel have now been confirmed.
And, with England's opening World Cup game just six weeks away, national coach Sven-Goran Eriksson faces a major dilemma over the player's selection.
However, Rooney is such a key figure in an England side widely tipped to challenge for the trophy, Eriksson may deem it a risk worth taking him even though the former Everton star will definitely miss the final two matches of Manchester United's domestic programme and England's pre-tournament friendlies against Hungary and Jamaica.
Adding to Eriksson's problems are doubts over the fitness of Rooney's striker partner Michael Owen who played his first match this year for Newcastle on Saturday after injuring his foot on December 31.
Owen came on as a second-half substitute in the 0-0 draw at Birmingham and played for half an hour.
But the striker admitted he required another scan on his injury on Monday.
Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder admitted Owen was still 'not happy' with the injury, but insisted he is not a doubt for the World Cup.
He said: "Michael came into the dressing room after the game and said he was still not happy with it, and he will have a scan on Monday.
"It's a concern but I don't want it to be blown out of all proportion. As far as I'm concerned he is still going to go to the World Cup. Players have scans all the time and it should not be a worry."
Chelsea's England centre-half John Terry survived an injury worry when he was caught by Rooney's studs in the first ten minutes of the Stamford Bridge match and required 10 stitches to a cut on his lower right foot.
The Blues captain continued playing but was walking on crutches after the match and is unlikely to feature in the champions' penultimate match of the season at Blackburn on Tuesday.
Terry was concerned for his England team-mate Rooney.
"I just tried to go in the dressing room to see him but security wouldn't let me," said Terry.