Rooney ruled out of Valencia game

| Wednesday September 29, 2010 00:00

The club said Rooney had succumbed to an ankle injury, but the statement followed suggestions he might be overlooked as he struggles to reconcile his form and personal issues.

The absence of a fully fit Rooney is a blow for Sir Alex Ferguson, with United's season awaiting a spark. They have failed to win all three away fixtures in the Premier League, and a 0-0 home draw with Rangers in their opening Champions League match has lent the game today at the Mestalla more significance than the manager would like so early in the campaign.

Rooney was substituted after 61 minutes of the 2-2 draw at Bolton on Sunday. Mike Phelan, the assistant manager, revealed Rooney had been carrying an ankle knock for 'a couple of weeks', but then indicated the player hoped to be fit for the trip to Spain.

Ryan Giggs, out for two weeks with a hamstring strain, will also miss the Valencia game. Ferguson may start with Dimitar Berbatov as a lone striker for a match United dare not lose.

If Rooney's injury is more serious than first thought, he will be in doubt for United's game at Sunderland on Saturday and it might threaten his availability for England's European Championship qualifier against Montenegro two weeks tomorrow. England will definitely be without Frank Lampard for that game as the midfielder is still recovering from hernia surgery.

Rooney's absence compounds a few months to forget for the double Footballer of the Year. After his failure for England at the World Cup, it was hoped an extended holiday would provide the platform for another strong season. Rooney, though, found himself the subject of a storm of media interest over his private life, with allegations of infidelity. It prefaced Ferguson's decision to omit him from United's visit to Everton, Rooney's former club, and even prompted the manager to concede last week the negative attention had affected the forward's performance. (Guardian)