Rooney and Eriksson to decide Cup debut

BUHLERTAL, Germany, June 8: Wayne Rooney has got over his foot injury and will play at the World Cup when the striker and Sven-Goran Eriksson decide he is ready, the England manager said today.

''The good news from yesterday evening and today is that Rooney has no more injury, he is injury free,'' Eriksson told a news conference at their training ground.

''Now it's up to us to get him match fit and when we think he is match fit I am prepared to take in any specialist we or Manchester United want to take in.

''I'm prepared to listen to everyone and discuss Rooney with them. But the last say in this story is Rooney's and mine.'' Rooney's club United had said late on Wednesday that the striker, who broke his foot on April 29, could be cleared to play after England's Group B campaign ends on June 20 against Sweden - subject to a ''very careful assessment''.

In sharp contrast to the cautious note struck by United after Rooney's scan in Manchester yesterday, a bullish Eriksson made it clear he was in charge and would play him.

Rooney will almost certainly miss Saturday's opener with Paraguay but Eriksson's upbeat attitude suggests he may come on as substitute against Trinidad&Tobago or Sweden.

Angus Wallace, a professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Nottingham will provide expert opinion on the timing of the explosive 20-year-old's World Cup debut.

''Professor Wallace this morning assured me that he will be here when we think he (Rooney) is match fit,'' Eriksson said.

The Swede added: ''I'm doing this in the best interests of Rooney, the England team and 40 million England fans.

''I'm responsible for it and I don't want any more discussions about Rooney until I tell you I think he's match fit.

''I don't want my players talking about Wayne Rooney's foot or injury. I hope you respect that.'' Eriksson, in terse mood and clearly fed up with the media circus that has surrounded Rooney's injury for the past six weeks, then stood up and left the news conference.

Rooney, showing no ill-effects from Wednesday's round trip to Manchester, had earlier limbered up with the rest of his team mates at a sunlit training ground near their Baden-Baden hotel.

Though the session was closed to the media after 15 minutes, midfielder Steven Gerrard later told a news conference Rooney had taken part in full training.

Rooney has previously been continuing his rehabilitation separately from the rest of the squad -- running, turning and spraying long passes across the training pitch.

REUTERS