England News

• Nickname:Three Lions
• Founded: 1872
• Manager:Roy Hodgson

• Ground:Wembley Stadium
• Capacity:90,000

Fergie rues Rooney loss

11 Nov 2007 - 12:46:22

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Sir Alex Ferguson believes Wayne Rooney could have fired England into the European Championship had he not picked up an ankle injury.

The in-form striker, who had scored nine times in his last nine appearances for club and country, will miss around four matches for United plus England's potentially decisive Euro 2008 qualifier with Croatia on November 21 after suffering as freak training ground accident on Friday.

England must now defeat Croatia at Wembley without the talismanic striker and hope other results in Group E between Russia and Israel go their way if they are to reach next summer's finals.

"I think Rooney was the man who could take England to the European championships," Ferguson told Manchester United Radio.

"It was an absolute freak accident. He was playing a game of head tennis and he caught his foot on the stanchion that holds up the net.

"It's a sickening blow, but we hope he'll be back in four weeks.

"He's been in red-hot form recently, but that's football.

"He'll miss our games against Blackburn and Bolton - and it's obviously a big loss for England too."