• Premier League

Rooney tells Capello he will be fit for World Cup

Harry Harris
April 25, 2010
Wayne Rooney has been forced to watch from the stands in recent weeks © Getty Images
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Wayne Rooney has told England manager Fabio Capello what the whole of the nation wants to hear: "count me in for the World Cup".

Ankle, knee and now groin injuries have sidelined Rooney during the latter part of the Premier League season, causing deep concern about how fit the 24-year-old will be for the big kick off in South Africa.

Such is Rooney's importance to England, that Capello needed an update on the latest injury set back that kept the Manchester United star out of Saturday's Premier League game against Tottenham at Old Trafford.

Soccernet understands that the Capello camp called Rooney directly to find out for themselves the extent of his injury problems.

An FA insider told Soccernet: "Rooney made it perfectly clear he will be there for the World Cup. In fact he was sure that his latest injury will keep him out for just a couple of weeks.

"The England camp plan to call up Rooney for their training camp in Austria on May 17th and then he will be assessed."

The problem for England is not whether the 34-goal striker will be in South Africa, because he has now made it clear that he will be, but the condition in which he will arrive.

The trick for Capello and his expert medical staff is to ensure Rooney can reach peak physical condition with a limited amount of preparation match to reach full sharpness.

"It is almost impossible for Wayne Rooney to be the player he was just a couple of months ago," the FA insider said. "Then he was in unbelievable shape."

"Since then he was affected by an ankle injury, and then another injury and now another injury and gradually he is losing that perfect shape and fitness.

"We are not the happiest men in the world because of Rooney's injuries because we would have liked him at the high level he was two months ago. But we are confident we can get close, very close with the right conditioning, once we have him in our training camp in Austria.

"It has been suggested we might rest him for the two friendlies, but the first friendly is a month away. If he is not fit by then, then he will be rested, but it doesn't make sense to prejudge it.

"The reason everyone is so concerned is easy to see, he is not only one of the best in the country and in Europe but one of the best in the world."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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