Rooney ready to rumble

March 06, 2007

Wayne Rooney

WAYNE Rooney is fit and set to fire United into the quarter-finals of the Champions League tomorrow against Lille.

The Reds and England striker had a scan on the knee injury that forced him out of Saturday's 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield.

Rooney was hurt in the tackle by Jamie Carragher when the Liverpool defender caught him on the knee.

There were immediate concerns for the 21-year-old's immediate fitness and he was a major doubt for the visit of the French club as United seek to build on their 1-0 advantage from the away leg in Lens.

Sir Alex Ferguson told M.E.N. Sport, however, that Rooney has been given the all clear.

"Wayne is fine now and will be fit for selection against Lille," said the United manager.

"We have a couple of doubts for the match but Wayne isn't one of them."

Rooney's knee injury escape is good news for the Reds following Ole Solskjaer's minor knee op and confirmation that Henrik Larsson is definitely heading home to Sweden next week when his Old Trafford loan spell comes to an end.

The 35-year-old striker is available for the Lille match and Saturday's FA Cup sixth round tie at Middlesbrough but then his brief United career ends.

He will play for Marcello Lippi's European XI in next Tuesday's charity match at Old Trafford against the Reds but will then return to play for Helsingborg.

Can United maintain their form without Solskjaer and Larsson? Have your say.

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Mick, Dublin (06/03/2007 at 09:21)

Brilliant news. Not because we're losing Larsson but because we'll be without Scholes for the next 3 games. I think we can cope without him or Rooney against Blackburn or Bolton but losing both of them would have been a real blow.

Birdy, Ireland (06/03/2007 at 09:35)

I dont know about maintaining our form! It could do with a bit of picking up. I think if Saha can get back into the swing of things, his pre-Christmas form, it could and should be enough to get us over the line in the league. We're gonna miss Scholes but fortunately 2 of the 3 games he'll miss are at home. Europe is a different matter. Assuming we get through, i think we'll need a good draw to have a chance of progressing. Our European form in recent yrs has been disappointing, so i would treat success there as a pleasant surprise, a bonus.

A Mancunian, Manchester (06/03/2007 at 09:51)

I'd like to see Alan Smith getting the odd run out at the end of matches (if we can get back to the habit of winning comfortably). It's all very well saying that we'll have limited options when Larsson leaves but Smith's got to have his chance. The manager doesn't seem too worried about our strikers but there's still time for things to go pear-shaped.

Demo, Glossop (06/03/2007 at 10:04)

Yeah losing scholesy is a blow but if rooney is back that definately limits the damage. I say bring park on the wing and move ronnie or giggs in the middle. Yeah if we are winning i would like to see smithy return but only if he is near standard. Will obviously lack match practise though! But its the only way to get that needed practise

edinburgh red, edinburgh (06/03/2007 at 10:09)

We should be able to cope as both players are really super subs, due to saha's injuries larsson was promoted to a more prominent role than any of us expeceted, and it didn't really produce the performances though we thankfully got the points. Let's hope Rooney/Ronaldo get some european goals(long overdue)and we start to play football again as we have been quite poor in the last 5 games.

Macca, Cornwall (06/03/2007 at 10:10)

A Mancunian, im with you on the smith comment, he needs a run out as we have so many games (hopefully) yet to play wazza and saha cant play them all. so we need to get smith back up to match fit. i expect he will be in the squad for tmrw seeing as ole is out? never the less great news on rooney, i feel tmrw nite is a great opportunity to get his goal in europe, the athmosphere will be electric and he can be the difference.

george (06/03/2007 at 10:19)

He's young.His healing powers are at their peak.He's playing a great part in UNITED's winning ways.Go get 'em Wayne.(hat trick would be nice!)

Nathan, Finchampstead (06/03/2007 at 10:58)

It will be interesting to see how Rooney is used. SAF might not want to give him the full 90 min as he had 8 stitches in his thigh and will obviously want him for the upcoming PL matches that Scholes will miss. Definitely agree with the comments on moving Giggs or Ronaldo inside and playing Park on the right. Parks tenacity will be a good weapon against Lille in what should be a lively affair.

Alias Smith, over the moon (06/03/2007 at 11:21)

Birdy, it may surprise you to know that our form in Europe since 1999 has been much better than it was beforehand.

Mick, Dublin (06/03/2007 at 11:24)

What's all this about losing Scholesy? His 3-match ban is for domestic games only. I would be tempted to start with Wazza on the bench, as it happens. His stitches will stay in for at least a week to 10 days and it would be a disaster if the wound burst open in a hefty challenge. With Scholes missing out against the three 'B's (Boro, Bolton, Blackburn) we need Rooney to stay fit. Seeing as this is Larsson's last game I think we should get our money's worth, start him alongside Saha (who must be itching to start a game) and give Rooney a break. The rest of the team should more or less be the same that started against Liverpool. I'm tempted to drop Vidic and/or Evra but they've been good enough this season to earn the right to play their way back into some form. Mind you, I'm also tempted to rest Giggs' aging hammies, with Park on the right and Ronnie on the left - especially as we might need Giggs in the centre in Scholes' absence.

OK Balders (06/03/2007 at 11:33)

Phew, we got away with this one by the skin of our teeth but we won't be able to through until May ! NO WAY should ronny move inside either (Giggs neither for that matter but if needs must i suppose). Ron has been instrumental in our play all season. To suddenly have him down the middle at the same time as scholes is missing would be madness. They've been our best two players and losing one of our main strengths is bad enough but to remove two potent weapons would be crazy. That would just leave Roon .... and he's hardly been on fire! Play the players in their correct positions. Saf went with this squad, he's got to back it! Injuries & suspensions have undone us before at a crucial stage so if it means giving Smith & Dong game time ASAP then get it done !

Birdy, Ireland (06/03/2007 at 11:49)

Alias we were bottom of the group last yr as you know. We've got to 1 semi final since we won it, and have steadily got knocked out earlier since, so i think its fair to say our results have been disappointing in recent yrs. The very fact that with the team we had we didnt win it again is disappointing, as SAF himself has said many times. Even this season we've been extremely average at times in Europe, Celtic, Copenhagen, Lille. As such i dont expect us to win the European Cup. If we do then brilliant, but i think we'll win the league, anything else would be a bonus.

Alias Smith, over the moon (06/03/2007 at 12:03)

Birdy, there's not much point you listing how far we've progressed each year, what I've said remains a fact - and since 1999 I think we've been knocked out 4 times by the eventual winners and at least once by an incorrect refereeing decision (Porto). Yes, we should have won it more times but at the end of the day it is a knockout competition and winning it requires a lot of luck - as a cursory glance at the winners over the last 5 years will confirm.

Demo, Glossop (06/03/2007 at 12:11)

Im of the belief that rooney might be betta left on the bench considering the stitches in his leg! Start Saha (whos confidence needs increasing and this would help) and since Henke is going start him as well. I would leave the defense as is then if performing badly do a sub - would like to see gabby brought on! Play fletcher in middle to harrass their players or park on wing n giggs inside then if we are winning comfortably enough take giggs off for a nice break.

Demo, Glossop (06/03/2007 at 12:25)

slight change to my last post i forgot we would have scholesy for the match forget fletcher or JOS just bring park on to replace giggs if we are doing ok!

OK Balders (06/03/2007 at 12:50)

I'd like to see Rio or vida have a rest tonight and i never thought i'd hear me say this, but, play Silvestre instead, as he always seems to do well against his fellow countrymen (eg Terry Henry). Save Rio/vida for sat against the Yak & viduka.If we could grab an early goal tonight i'd also want to see Dong or Smith (replace Larsson) getting 45 mins too.

Birdy, Ireland (06/03/2007 at 12:53)

Alias unless i missed something there are no consolation prizes for getting knocked out by the eventual winners. It doesn't make a difference who put us out. Yes the Porto decision was wrong but we've benefited from wrong decisions too. I can appreciate that you usually focus on the positives which is fair enough, but the facts are that we've only won 1 European Cup during a golden era for the club domestically, and we've progressively gone out earlier and earlier over the last few seasons, culminating in a finishing bottom of the group last season. We've not showed much better form in Europe this season but we've got through so fingers crossed from here.

stu, london (06/03/2007 at 13:15)

Alias, our form better since 1999 than before? How so? If you've got stats that show that I will be amazed! I thought we'd struggled to get any kind of away result (Lille two weeks ago being our first knockout away win since Deportivo in, when, 2002?), come bottom of our group last year etc.

stu, london (06/03/2007 at 13:17)

Rooney needs a rest in Europe. Saha should start, with Wayne coming on after 70 minutes - UP FRONT, not on the left - and hopefully get us a goal by changing the rhythm of the game. That would do his confidence in the competition no end of good. Read recently that he'd whispered to another player, before one of our CL games last year, that the Champ League scares him and he doesn't know why. Makes me worried that - we need him to do a Fenherbace if we're going to go further...

Alias Smith, over the moon (06/03/2007 at 13:53)

stu, if it had been anyone other than you, I would have told you to go look it up yourself! We first qualified for the CL in 1994 and in the seasons up to 1998, we had: 1 SF, 1 QF, 1 Group stage elimination, 1 pre-Group stage elimination and 1 year we did not qualify. Since 1999, it's been 1 SF, 3 QF, 2 last sixteen and of course last year's disaster. The number of times we have gone out on away goals is shocking!

Mark - Stretford Ender (06/03/2007 at 13:57)

Saha has to start against Lille, He was lively against Reading and the Scousers when he came on and seen as though Mr Larrson is on his way (cheers by the way a total class footballer worthy of the shirt)we need Saha full of confidence and scoring goals like at the start of the season as he's going to have a big say in where the trophies end up. Our Wayne could do with a little rest so let him start on the bench and give him 25-30 mins if it's not gong to plan (tht translates into the last 5-10 mins in Fergie time!!)

de Meester, netherlands (06/03/2007 at 14:01)

I actually would start witjh a sharper Sahá/
I think Roo is feeling the untold 'pressure'to succeed in Europe.
Leave him on the bench and let's try and get the game
'won early', anyhow that would leave Rooney fresher for saturday.
Don't rush him again he is more precious than that!
Come On You Reds

Alias Smith, over the moon (06/03/2007 at 14:31)

Birdy, I am not saying we have achieved all we could or should in Europe but you fail to acknowledge the element of luck involved in a knockout competition. We can see it with the FA Cup; the best team - the champions - rarely win it (that's why there have been so few double winners). Now combine that with the much stronger teams in the CL, add a sprinkle of an away goals rule and mix thoroughly.

bobbydazzler (06/03/2007 at 14:49)

alias our away form in europe has been abysmal. the reason is for the most part we have played a type of football alien to man utd and we dont actually set out to win these games.

OK Balders (06/03/2007 at 15:03)

spot on bobby D and it also affects us in the PL big away games too - e.g. Sat. Gloating aside we were dreadful 2nd half ! With Saha out for 2morra throws all the plans in the air again !!

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