SVEN-GÖRAN ERIKSSON’S determination to have Wayne Rooney available against Trinidad & Tobago this evening led to the Football Association summoning the country’s leading foot surgeon to Germany yesterday. With about 40 million people effectively looking over his shoulder, Professor Angus Wallace could not have felt under greater pressure if he had been called on to play in the World Cup.
There was no doubting what verdict Eriksson was expecting from the orthopaedic surgeon, with the Swede declaring that Rooney “is match fit in my opinion”. The head coach may even choose to ignore the advice of a doctor who, only last week, said that the Manchester United striker should not play for another ten days. “My opinion is that he’s match fit, but I will sleep on it,” Eriksson said. “It must be my final decision.”
The latest twist in the saga overshadowed the troubling news that Gary Neville is out of this evening’s group B match, when England will hope to secure their place in the last 16, and next week’s game against Sweden. Victory against Trinidad is expected, even if the conditions are likely to be sweltering, but an appearance by Rooney was the subject of much debate inside and outside the England camp.
Eriksson told the striker a couple of days ago to prepare for 20 minutes off the bench against the team from the Caribbean and, left to the head coach, he will make his long-awaited comeback in the Frankenstadion tonight.
If only it were that simple. Opinion has even been split among the England medical staff, with Leif Sward, the team doctor, declaring Rooney ready to play and Ivan Carminati, the fitness coach, causing consternation by talking publicly of the striker being “70 per cent”.
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With the FA’s hierarchy fearful that, without another medical check-up, the organisation could be accused of taking a huge risk with one of the game’s most valuable players, Wallace — who was believed to have been accompanied by Chris Moran, a trauma specialist — was summoned at short notice from Nottingham to the team’s city-centre hotel in Nuremberg. While eager to support Eriksson, the governing body want s to ensure that it is not liable in the event of a further injury. “Insurance issues” were cited.
Wallace is described as a man certain in his opinions and only last week, having examined the scan on Rooney’s foot, declared that the striker should not play until after the group stage. But some within the FA believe that they, rather than a foot surgeon, are better placed to judge a player’s match fitness.
“Rooney told me he’s match fit three weeks ago,” Eriksson said yesterday and the striker, who has been playing a full part in training for some days, will be hugely frustrated if he is forced to wait to face Sweden. So will Eriksson, whose desperation to bring back Rooney as quickly as possible is less to do with concerns about overcoming tonight’s opponents than getting him match fit for the latter rounds.
Uncomfortably humid conditions are expected in Nuremberg — “we are looking to it being very, very hot,” Leo Beenhakker, Eriksson’s opposite number, said — but England will hope to control the game better than they did against Paraguay on Saturday.
The loss of Neville will not help and the full back has been ruled out until the last-16 match at the earliest. A scan has revealed a tear in his calf and the England doctors are hoping that a rest will act as a cure.
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Jamie Carragher is thought to have pipped Owen Hargreaves as Neville’s deputy. “Hargreaves is quicker but I never saw Carragher beaten in a run,” Eriksson said. “He is clever and takes up good positions.”
Theo Walcott would become the second-youngest player to appear in the World Cup finals if he makes an appearance, but the more pressing concern last night was whether another England striker would be free to come off the bench.