Source: Daily_Mail
Rooney KO: England boss Capello loses his 'incredible' Man United star
Wayne Rooney is out of England's World Cup clash with Belarus at Wembley on Wednesday, dealing a serious blow to Fabio Capello's desire for a victory to end the qualifying campaign in style.
Rooney suffered a calf strain during Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Ukraine and was released back to Manchester United from England's training base in Hertfordshire on Sunday. He will undergo a scan on Monday.
The striker's absence will be greatly felt by Capello after he put in a magnificent display and was named man of the match on a controversial night at the Dnipro Arena. England suffered their first defeat in Group Six, but Rooney impressed throughout.
He did his best to inspire his teammates to battle their way back into the game despite being a man down for 77 minutes following Robert Green's sending-off.
The striker lasted the entire game, but at a cost. He will now hope to be fit for Manchester United's Premier League clash with Bolton on Saturday and as well as the Champions League match at CSKA Moscow the following Wednesday.
The news will concern United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, still holidaying in America, because Michael Owen resumed training only on Tuesday after a groin injury, leaving just Dimitar Berbatov as a match-fit striker.
Capello, meanwhile, underlined Rooney's importance when he said: 'He doesn't like to lose, like me. He's an incredible player.'
Unless injury hits one of his other four strikers, Capello is thought unlikely to call in a replacement, looking instead to take the chance to experiment with his front line.
An Aston Villa pairing of Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor is a possibility, while Carlton Cole will be desperate for another chance to impress after a disappointing substitute display against Ukraine.
Peter Crouch, not even on the bench on Saturday, will also be keen for a chance to shine. Anotheroption for Capello is to move Steven Gerrard forward. He received theall-clear to stay with the England party despite lasting only untilhalf-time on Saturday.
It was a night of disappointment for David Beckham who, for the first time in 13 years of international football, did not even secure a place on the England bench.
Beckham, understandably, was said to be disappointed but Capello insisted that he remained an important member of the squad.
'We have 24 players,' he said. 'If David is here it is because he is important for the best 24 in this moment. But I have to decide 18 players, 11 on the pitch and seven on the bench. They can play 15 minutes. All the players are important.'
