Rooney Out For Two Months

Manchester United have confirmed that Wayne Rooney will be out for two months after suffering a hairline fracture of his left foot.

News had swept across the world this morning that the striker would be sidelined for an indeterminable period, but at a press conference to unveil Anderson and Carlos Tevez, Alex Ferguson revealed the extent of the problem.

"It's two months," confirmed Ferguson. "But you never know with these kind of fractures, hopefully it will be sooner, but that's the timescale we're putting on it at the moment."

The injury happened as Rooney and Reading defender Michael Duberry clashed feet when the United striker looked to latch on to a Ronaldo cross. He connected with the ball, however Duberry’s challenge accidentally caught the foot of Rooney.

It is unknown which metatarsal the 21-year-old has damaged but having suffered a similar injury before the 2006 World Cup, he will know that recovery time varies from one incident the next.

Regardless of the timescales involved it will be a massive blow for United who will be looking to solidify their title defence in the opening few months of the campaign.

Last season Rooney played 35 of United’s 38 league games, contributing with 14 goals and was an integral part of the side that regained the Premiership crown after three seasons.

The striker will also miss England’s vital 2008 qualifiers against Israel, Russia and Estonia, all scheduled for the start of Autumn.