Rooney suffers burst blood vessel in ankle
Wayne Rooney re-injured his ankle on Wednesday after making a surprise return as Manchester United were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.
The England striker, who damaged ligaments in his right ankle in the first leg against Bayern last week and was expected to be missing for three weeks, lasted 55 minutes before going off with more damage to the joint.
"He has a burst blood vessel just below the ankle joint," United manager Alex Ferguson, told reporters. "He won't be out for too long. It was never a serious injury.
"The fact is he was unlucky because he went over on it again. He had a couple of challenges on it and I don't think he got much protection."
Earlier this week Ferguson said that Rooney, who has scored 34 goals this season, had virtually no chance of playing against Bayern but with a 2-1 deficit to overturn and the player making a quick recovery he decided to start with him.
For 41 minutes it looked like an inspired decision as Bayern appeared completely distracted by Rooney's presence, falling 3-0 behind on the night with Darron Gibson and Nani scoring.
However, the gamble began to misfire as Rooney was substituted and United were pole-axed by Arjen Robben's stunning volley which hauled Bayern back to 2-3 on the night and sent them through on the away goals rule.
Ferguson denied that he had rushed Rooney back into action too early -- a decision that could have implications for United's final five games of the season as they try and win a fourth consecutive Premier League title.
"He had a training session on Tuesday and was very impressive," Ferguson said. "He did everything that I could ask of him and had an intensive examination. There was no risk, he was just unlucky."
Rooney, who missed United's costly 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday, is now unlikely to play against Blackburn Rovers this weekend.
His injury caused widespread concern in England, with even British Prime Minister Gordon Brown referring to it, because Rooney's fitness is seen as vital to England having a successful World Cup in South Africa.
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Alfred Camilleri
Apr 8th 2010, 20:36
R. Gatt. When referring to referees and corrupt practices, you are not, incidentally referring to that referee who sent out 2 Italian players, considered a very hard decision in football circles at the time, in the 1962 World Cup match Italy was playing against the home side, Chile? The referee? Aston, his name was. Guess what? He was English. But then, perhaps, you may not even have been born then. But I'm sure that you remember the Ecuadorian Moreno who reduced the World Cup 2002 match between Italy and S. Korea into a farce, giving the home side a great helping hand in reaching the semi-finals..
Don't be childish in your frustration blaming the referee for your team's elimination from Europe. Italian referees throughout the years have proved to be among the best in the world, great names like Lo Bello and Collina come to mind for their high standard of refereeing. As for Ferguson, who admittedly is one of the greatest club coaches of all time, tends to blame referees too much when things go wrong for him and his team. Not only in Europe. He does it time and time again in the Premiership.
A. Cauchi
Apr 8th 2010, 20:19
@R.Gatt. you cant criticise the italian refs surly, remember COLLINA, and all the finals he controlled, without a single mistake, and please stop find excuses, and blaming everyone else and not Man Utd, maybe United are spoiled in England because we all know how many penalties were ever given against them in the premiere league.
@A.Soler. its surly is dead this year the english football from the Champions League, and this is a fact, as for the prediction of the times, go and see what the times told of the Famous prediction of Man utd against Barcellona, for the final.
K Glanville
Apr 8th 2010, 17:42
Lil R Gatt:
Sur Gatt, informa ftit ruhek rigward Calciopoli. Din li hemm kaz gdid ta Calciopoli hija hmerija mqajjma mid-difiza tal-galantom Luciano Moggi. Qed jiddikkjaraw li hemm telefonati bejn dirigienti ta klabbs ohra (fosthom Inter) ma Bergamo (Ass. Referees) u De Santis (Referee). Dawn it-telefonati pero ma jurux li hemm talba ghal gwadann lejn it-tim koncernat, filwaqt li dawn it-telefonati kienu diga gew analizzati mill-investigaturi waqt l-istahrrig ta` Calciopoli. B`kollox gew intercettati 171,000 telefonata, u dawn li qed iqajjmu d--difensuri ta` Moggi huma fost dawn l-eluf. Jekk forsi trid tkun taf aktar x`kien ifisser calciopoli, fittex daqsxejn fil-you tube "Operazione Offside" u tkun taf kemm x`qed jghidu d-difensuri ta` Moggi llum, ma jistax jkun kkunsidrat! Forza Inter!
Arthur Soler
Apr 8th 2010, 15:42
@ A Cauchi
Quote "English football is dead and buried" Get serious will you. So, this is the first time in a decade that Premiership Clubs are not represented in the Champions League Semi finals English Clubs have had more than than share of excellent performances in this competition in the last ten years. Are you sure that it is not you that is writing with "your heart rather than your mind"? To suggest that English football is dead and buried is positively childish and ludicrous.
RGatt
Apr 8th 2010, 15:36
@ A Cauchi - English football is that you think? One thing's for sure, Chelsea last year and this year and United this year were cheated out. Raphael should have never seen red. It was Quasi Modo and Schweinscheisse who made him produce the second yellow. But then the ref was Italian and we all know these Italians and their practices. By the way, Calciopoli has been opened again. Wonder who's going to be demoted this time.
@Dan Van Bastien - Alex Ferguson's reputation you wrote? Sir Alex has nothing to prove to anybody. He did it all and won it all. He's the best manager the world has ever had. As for Robben and the Dutch contingent, they only got the freedom of the park when a man up, as up till then United had rolled over them. That was the only way Bayern had any chance and the ref obliged. Robben, Quasi Modo, Van Bommel and the lot, what had they done up till the sending off. They were outplayed in every department. By the way, Van Der Saar is Dutch as well just in case you had'nt noticed. Forget it Inter. Barcelona for the cup.
K Glanville
Apr 8th 2010, 15:25
Best football league in the world?...Perhaps the most spectacular yes, but the match Chelsea-Inter gave already a demonstration of what`s the reality about all this. Inter simply didn`t leave a minor chance for Chelsea to show their potential. A potential which seems to be big enough to let them win this years Premier League.....Reflect!
A.Cauchi
Apr 8th 2010, 14:56
Altought the Times, predicted that all is set for a final between Man Utd and Barcelllona when the fixtures came up, it seems that someone is writing with his heart and not his mind!!!! English football is dead and buried, where are the teams from the best league in the world?
Darren Grech
Apr 8th 2010, 14:35
@ Jeff Mamo........ Which is the best League in the World? Stop joking
fredu axisa
Apr 8th 2010, 13:42
dear Jeff Mamo.....
english premier league is the best football league in the world....stay with it ....coz its a fact....
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method3/crank2009.html
Jeff Mamo
Apr 8th 2010, 13:19
The best football league in the world??? Stop dreaming
justin vella
Apr 8th 2010, 13:37
lets be honest if you where too tally the 20 teams in the premier legaue up against the 20 teams in serie a or la liga, you get alot better end proudct in the uk and a hell of alot more money pumped into it, outside small insignifcant football nations like malta, most nations side with local teams, the uk teams are global franchises beyond the likes of any other sport, also the most intresting league to whatch the worldwide viewing figures prove that
Darren Grech
Apr 8th 2010, 11:53
Rooney wanted to play but he was not match fit. He suffers another injury after 25 minutes but hopefully he will be back soon. We defended for much too long against Bayern and that's a massive mistake
Timmy Farrugia
Apr 8th 2010, 11:26
@ Norbert Bugeja - "you can't defend against a team like bayern a team like bayern needs to be attacked if u stand and defend against them you suffer goals" - true, when rooney was subsituted, man utd spent some time without a striker
A. Spiteri
Apr 8th 2010, 10:50
Bookmakers, and corrupt referees decide who wins what, which or nothing! That's modern football.
Dan.van bastien
Apr 8th 2010, 10:46
Well what do U expect ferguson is a typical scots man, he uses the payers as pons, he don't care about any injuries his reputation is at stake and this time around the first time in 7 years his lot ar out. Besides i was backing B.Muchen all the way and most of the players are from Holland, as we have the best players. Tot Ziens.
Norbert Bugeja
Apr 8th 2010, 10:35
if fergie played him it means he was fit to play...he did well when on the football pitch then the ref let the bayern defenders do the tackles from behind and he re injured himself but it's not serious as said....one mistake fergie did.....you can't defend against a team like bayern a team like bayern needs to be attacked if u stand and defend against them you suffer goals....they are nearly perfect offensivly......
so BRING ON BLACKBURN no use crying on spilt milk WE ARE MAN UNITED AND WE NEVER DIE
Timmy Farrugia
Apr 8th 2010, 08:05
cant understand how ferguson played him. he looked in pain from the start of the match