Wayne Rooney’s clubfoot is err…plastered all over the web this morning like a bad-taste April fools joke. Just in case you’ve been in a bunker or you’ve been at a wedding with minimal internet and mobile coverage (I refuse to let it lie), then the latest news is that United have confirmed that their prize asset has suffered “minor ankle ligament damage”. The full prognosis will be revealed by Alex Ferguson’s press conference at 9.30 tomorrow morning.
United’s statement via their spokesman goes a lot like this…
“We’re pleased to report that Wayne has not suffered a fracture. The scan revealed only minor ligament damage.”
Some reports offer more detail with the Telegraph stating that Rooney has suffered “a first degree sprain – the over-stretching of ligaments – of his right ankle.” The report goes on to quote more detail from the United spokesman…
“For now, the club is not commenting on how many games Wayne is likely to miss. However, Sir Alex Ferguson will say more about the matter in his regular press conference at Carrington on Friday morning. Rooney’s previously good record of returning early from injury could even open up the possibility of him facing Manchester City at Eastlands on Apr 17.”
The lack of a definitive return date has pf course allowed the papers and websites to go to town on speculation but it’s still the two-to-four week absence that’s remains the most popular estimate. Sky Sports have gone with a proposed return date of May 1, in time for Rooney to take on Sunderland. The Telegraph meanwhile get all optimisitic and go for a return in time for a possible Champions League semi-final first-leg against Lyon or Bordeaux on April 21.
The papers really have enjoyed themselves with this one. I particularly like the Daily Mail’s latest on the injury in which the reporter gives us details of how Rooney looked fine as he made his way down the plane to the toilet on his return flight from Germany. He did get an aisle seat and had the chicken if anyone is interested.
In all seriousness, the Mail do bring us some rather interesting insight on Rooney’s injury from Mark Leather who is the former “Liverpool, Sunderland and Wigan Warriors physio”. Knock yourself out with that if you’re craving yet more detail on Rooney’s condition. In a nutshell, sponge-man Leather suggests a two-to-three week absence for a “little tweak” of the ankle ligaments. That would seem to reinforce the opinion that four weeks will be Rooney’s likely absence.
Back to the business of what this means for Fantasy Managers and Dimitar Berbatov will surely now get a run of games as United’s principal striker. He should now be guaranteed league starts against Chelsea, Blackburn, Man City and maybe Spurs. The Bulgarian is priced at 9.4 in the Fantasy Premier League game and will go into this run of games having scored four goals in his last five league starts. Those games have also seen Berbatov return an assist and four FPL bonus points.