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Rooney: Sprained ankle
Wayne Rooney is facing between two and four weeks on
the sidelines with a sprained ankle, Sky Sports News
understands.
The Manchester United and England talisman had the nation
holding their breath as he crumpled in a heap on the turf at the
Allianz Arena in the closing seconds of the 2-1 UEFA Champions
League defeat by Bayern Munich.
Rooney, who had bagged his 34th goal of an astonishing season
with just 64 seconds on the clock in the quarter-final first leg
meeting, had to be helped from the field and later left the stadium
on crutches.
Replays of the incident showed he had turned his right ankle
when he landed awkwardly, causing immediate concern for Red Devils
boss Sir Alex Ferguson and England counterpart Fabio Capello.
The fears of the national team appear to be have been alleviated
by the initial prognosis, but the Red Devils will be without their
attacking ace for a significant spell during the title run-in and
he will undergo a scan on Thursday.
Ferguson's men, who head the Premier League by one point from
Chelsea, play host to their title rivals at Old Trafford on
Saturday lunchtime in what could well prove to be a pivotal moment
in the season.
The return leg of their European showdown with Bayern follows
next Wednesday when United know they must score if they are to
progress to the semi-finals of the competition.
Rooney can expect to miss the trip to Blackburn on 11th April
and may also struggle to be involved in the Manchester derby with
City at Eastlands the following weekend and the home meeting with
Spurs on 24th April.
That would leave the 24-year-old with just the Premier League
encounters against Sunderland and Stoke to regain match sharpness
in domestic action before attention turns to England's World Cup
bid in South Africa.
Midfielder Darren Fletcher, speaking after the Bayern defeat,
knows that Rooney's absence will have an impact on the Red Devils,
but is confident they have players in reserve who can help fill the
void.
"It would be a massive blow for us if Wayne doesn't play because
he has had a fantastic season," said Fletcher.
"He scored again for us and he is quite obviously one of the
best players in the world.
"But we have other good players. If Wayne isn't available, we
will rally round.
"Berbatov, Valencia and Giggs came off the bench against Bayern
so we still have a lot of quality."
- Skysports
