http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060501/asp/sports/story_6167326.asp
Rooney likely to miss World Cup
- Ace England striker breaks bone in right foot... To be out for at least six weeks | ||
| ROY COLLINS | ||
England manager Sven- Goran Eriksson last night received the World Cup news he had been dreading when it was confirmed that Wayne Rooney had broken a bone in his right foot which means he will miss the start of the tournament, which begins in Germany on June 9, and is unlikely to play any part at all.
Rooney was carried off in the final minutes of Manchester United’s Premiership game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday but it was thought he had escaped serious injury until he returned to Manchester for a medical examination where it was confirmed he had suffered a break in the fourth metatarsal of his right foot and would be out for at least six weeks.
The injury has become the curse of the modern footballer.
England captain David Beckham was struck down by it before the last World Cup in Japan in 2002 and although he recovered to play in the tournament, it clearly affected his play.
Rooney was also struck down by a metatarsal injury during England’s Euro 2004 quarter final defeat against Portugal.
On average, the healing time is seven to eight weeks. Beckham recovered in 54 days in 2002, but Rooney took 10 weeks to recover in 2004.
You could see the concern in the faces of Chelsea’s England players Frank Lampard and Joe Cole when Rooney was carried off, even though they were celebrating a second successive Premiership win for their team.
Rooney is crucial to England’s hopes of World Cup glory.
Although the young team gathered together by Eriksson is considered the most talented in the country’s history, Rooney is the jewel in the crown.
And his injury came just as his strike partner, Michael Owen, is making his own tentative first steps to recovery from his own metatarsal injury sustained in December.
Eriksson has various options if Owen is unfit.
He can bring in Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent or Peter Crouch but Rooney, so influential in all areas of the pitch and tipped to become the star of the World Cup, is one who is absolutely irreplaceable.
Eriksson has often spoken of the importance of Rooney to his team, saying: “I don’t even want to think about him being injured.”
He learned of this latest injury as he was making an early exit from Stamford Bridge. Asked whether he was concerned about injury to Rooney he replied: “Always, always.”
Walk through the Hurt lane
Since end of last year, 10 England players have suffered alarming injuries
Dec. 31 ' Michael Owen (foot)
Jan. 14 ' Ashley Cole (thigh, ankle)
Feb. 1 ' Sol Campbell (ankle)
Feb. 28 ' Frank Lampard (hamstring)
March 1 ' Wayne Bridge (ankle)
March 25 ' David Beckham (ankle)
April 2 ' Luke Young (ankle)
April 12 ' Sol Campbell (nose)
April 15 ' Ledley King (foot)
April 17 ' Jermaine Jenas (shin)
April 29 'Wayne Rooney (foot)
International tournaments marred by metatarsal injuries:
April 2002 ' Beckham broke his second metatarsal playing for Manchester United against Deportivo La Coruna. He played in the World Cup but was unfit.
April 2002 ' Gary Neville broke his fifth metatarsal against Bayer Leverkusen and missed the World Cup.
May 2002 ' Danny Murphy misses World Cup with fractured a metatarsal while training.
June 2004 ' Rooney broke metatarsal in England’s quarter final with Portugal at Euro 2004.
Oct. 2005 ' Ashley Cole broke a metatarsal before England’s World Cup qualifier against Austria.
Dec. 2005 ' Michael Owen broke metatarsal colliding with England teammate Paul Robinson.
April 2006 ' Ledley King, who has been deployed as a defensive midfielder for England, damages his metatarsal playing against Everton.
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