EDWIN van der Sar does not believe Wayne Rooney should make this summer's World Cup his number one priority as he begins his recovery from a broken foot.

An oxygen chamber has been installed at Manchester United's Carrington training complex in a bid to aid the striker's battle for fitness and a scan in four weeks is set to determine whether he makes Sven-Goran Eriksson's England squad or not.

As an international captain himself, Van der Sar can understand Rooney's desperation to make the finals in Germany.

But the veteran Dutch goalkeeper thinks his young Red Devils team-mate would be better advised focusing on being fit for the start of next season and taking anything else as a bonus.

"The main thing for Wayne is not the World Cup, it is that he recovers fully," said Van der Sar.

"As a player, you always hope to play in the big tournaments and in that sense, Wayne is no different from anyone else.

"But at the moment, he just needs to concentrate on getting fit, no matter how long it takes, and take things from there."

Absence

Eriksson was given an indication of how much Rooney will be missed by United's struggles in their star man's absence against Middlesbrough last Monday.

Even with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha in attack, the Old Trafford outfit were unable to find a way through the stout Boro defence, meaning victory against Charlton tomorrow is now essential if they are to be certain of finishing runners-up and claiming the second automatic spot in next season's Champions League.

Van der Sar admits the result places United in a position they did not want to be in, although he cautions against blaming the absence of Rooney.

"Of course we miss Wayne, any team would, but that is an easy excuse," he said.

"Don't forget, we drew against Sunderland at home when he was in the side.

"We have a lot of players other than Wayne Rooney who can come in and be capable of doing a job.

"It would have been much better if we had won on Monday but the fact is we didn't. But we are still one point ahead of Liverpool and we know what we have to do to get that second spot."

The need to finish runners-up to Chelsea is not just a financial one.

Cash

While the spin-offs do include a bigger share of Champions League cash next season and also leave United free to continue arrangements for a proposed high-profile pre-season friendly with Barcelona, for the United squad a much-shortened summer break would be a more obvious concern.

Although the new Premiership season is not due to start until August 19, the first leg of any Champions League qualifier is pencilled in for August 9, exactly one month after the World Cup final.

"It would not be good to have to play qualifying matches for the Champions League so soon after the World Cup," said Van der Sar.

"That is why finishing second is so important for the club and the players."

Tomorrow's game marks the end of Van der Sar's first season at Old Trafford and the halfway point in the two-year contract he signed when he moved north from Fulham last summer.

February's Carling Cup triumph over Wigan has at least ensured the 35-year-old has some silverware to look back on, although he accepts improvement in the Premiership and, in particular, the Champions League is required next term.

"If you come to United, you want to win titles and play in the Champions League beyond the group stages," he said.

"You want to get to the quarter-finals and semi-finals of that competition at least.

"After this season's early exit we have to make sure we are still in Europe in March and April next season. That has to be our aim." Tweet