Friday, November 5, 2010

Rooney heads to US for rehab work

Wayne Rooney
Rooney speaks to England manager Fabio Capello at United's last home match

Injured Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will spend a week in the United States undergoing intensive conditioning work on an ankle problem.

The 25-year-old will miss Wednesday's Manchester derby, and is not expected to play for another three weeks.

Rooney is to train at the Nike Town centre in Oregon.

"He can go there without the attention he'd get here," said United assistant manager Mike Phelan. "He needs the conditioning. We all agree with that."

The England international caused controversy recently when he signed a new five-year contract only two days after stating that he wanted to leave Old Trafford.

Rooney said that concerns over the club's squad strength were behind his decision to seek an exit, but then made the shock U-turn after speaking to manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the club's owners who he stressed "convinced me this is where I belong".

Phelan did raise the possibility that Rooney could be back for the club's Premier League home match with Wigan on 21 November, if his conditioning work away from the glare of the British media goes well.

"We have the facilities [at Carrington]," said Phelan. "But we just thought it might be in the interests of him and the club to have a change of scenery for a little while.

"He has had a lot of attention lately and we want to give him the best opportunity he possibly can to be in good shape when he returns.

"If that goes according to plan, he will be available when he returns."

Ferguson, who handed over news conference duties to Phelan ahead of the home match against Wolves after picking up a virus, estimated on Tuesday that it would be another three weeks before Rooney is fit to return from his ankle injury.

He is likely to miss England's friendly with France on 17 November.

United are likely to be without Portuguese winger Nani and Scottish midfielder Darren Fletcher after the pair suffered injuries in the club's 3-0 Champions League victory at Bursaspor in Turkey on Tuesday.

Potenshöjande medel -

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