Tuesday, June 13, 2006

by Rob Woollard

BADEN-BADEN, Germany (AFP): England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is poised to unleash Wayne Rooney upon Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday as his team seeks to wrap up qualification from Group B.

The Manchester United star has impressed in training after returning from injury and is now set to make an appearance from the substitutes bench against the 'Soca Warriors' in Nuremberg.

The 20-year-old's absence was keenly felt in England's drab 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Saturday, where chants of 'Rooney, Rooney' echoed around Frankfurt's Waldstadion towards the end of a lacklustre match.

Eriksson was cautious about the prospect of a swift return for Rooney.

"We have to decide on Rooney day by day, to be honest," Eriksson said after the Paraguay victory. "I'm very optimistic, always. I will change something in the team if we have some problems."

Results of a scan last week showed that the fracture in Rooney's right foot had healed. England's coaches say the only issue now preventing the player's return is his match fitness.

Any appearance by Rooney during the group stages will infuriate Sir Alex Ferguson, who believes Eriksson has gone back on an agreement to wait until the second round before using the player.

But Eriksson has made it clear that he will not bow to pressure from United over the use of their star player.

Rooney's chance could come sooner than expected after Theo Walcott picked up a minor injury during a post-match five-a-side on Saturday that left the teenager needing strapping to a sore calf.

Ironically, Walcott picked up the knock courtesy of a clattering tackle by Rooney. "Theo has a slight knock and it has been strapped up for compression purposes," the FA confirmed.

"It's precautionary and after a day off on Monday he will take part in our next training session on Tuesday."

Walcott's knock in theory leaves England with only one fully fit striker, Peter Crouch, following Eriksson's decision to include only four forwards in his 23-man squad for Germany.

Michael Owen, who missed most of the Premiership season after breaking his foot on New Year's Eve, looked desperately short of match sharpness against Paraguay and was replaced after 53 minutes.

"I'm sure Michael Owen will get better and better," Eriksson said.

Eriksson said Owen's substitution for Stewart Downing that saw Joe Cole shifted into a central role was tactical but the switch was sharply criticised by former England captain Alan Shearer.

Shearer, now working as a pundit for Britain's BBC television, described the decision to replace Owen as "unbelievable".

"Sven brought Theo Walcott as a centre-forward but when he took Michael Owen off and put Joe Cole in Michael's place, Walcott must have been on the bench thinking: 'There's a midfielder in my position'.

"Eriksson probably doesn't think he's ready at this moment in time, but if that's the case, why take him in the first place?"

Former England coach Sir Bobby Robson also admitted to being baffled by Owen's substitution. "I assumed at first that Owen was injured when he went off ... I couldn't believe it when I discovered it was tactical," he said.

Former Scotland international Alan Hansen blasted Eriksson's tactical tinkering as 'appalling', and said England were paying for the decision not to include Tottenham's Jermain Defoe as a fifth forward.

"It all goes back to this issue of not taking Jermain Defoe," said Hansen. "If you're taking Michael Owen off it should be like for like - off goes Owen and on comes Defoe."

Defoe meanwhile has denied weekend reports that quoted him criticising Eriksson's decision to send him back to Britain.

"It's a strange one. I am still trying to understand it. It's a strange decision and everybody I speak to thinks so as well," Defoe was quoted as saying. Defoe's representatives said he had not spoken to any media, however.

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