Wayne Rooney's World Cup in jeopardy

Sven-Goran Eriksson must now decide whether to take the biggest gamble of his time as England manager after it was confirmed Wayne Rooney will be out for six weeks after breaking his foot at Stamford Bridge. Rooney was stretchered off during Manchester United's 3-0 defeat by Chelsea, having suffered the injury in a challenge for possession with Paulo Ferreira.

And, despite the reassurances of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who claimed after the game he had been told by United staff Rooney was `okay', the initial fears as Rooney was taken down the tunnel have now been confirmed.

'Wayne Rooney has fractured the base of the fourth metatarsal on the right foot and he will be out for six weeks,' said United in a short statement tonight.

Rooney travelled back to Manchester with his team-mates before heading straight to a private hospital in nearby Whalley Range, where the precise extent of his injury was diagnosed.
And, with England's opening World Cup game against Paraguay on June 10 exactly six weeks away, Eriksson's dilemma is now obvious.

When Rooney fractured the fifth metatarsal on the same foot in the Euro 2004 quarter-final defeat to Portugal, it was 10 weeks before he played again.