Post by Scott on May 6, 2006 0:50:04 GMT
From the Telegraph:
'Manchester United have been here before. Four years ago, the nation held its breath as its iconic footballer struggled to overcome a broken metatarsal, and to this day Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced David Beckham should not have gone to the 2002 World Cup.
In the fifth day of impassioned debate on whether Wayne Rooney could or should play any part in Germany, the Manchester United manager argued it was important England did not repeat past mistakes of rushing a player back too quickly.
Beckham, whose metatarsal was broken by Deportivo La Coruna's Aldo Duscher in a European Cup quarter-final in early April, resumed full training just five days before England's opening group game against Sweden - 48 days after the original challenge. Ferguson said Beckham's decision to fly to Dubai for a pre-tournament get-together only harmed the England captain's cause.
"I think it would have been much better had he stayed here, but he wanted to go to Dubai," Ferguson said. "I really don't think he was fit enough to play in a World Cup."
England's opening World Cup fixture is 36 days away, and Ferguson added: "We must not rush Wayne back too early. The boy wouldn't do himself justice, and that would be an even bigger disappointment for England fans.
"We want him on the plane if we can, but we are not going to do anything to jeopardise the boy - and you have to have your doubts with an injury like that."
Ferguson was, however, more guardedly optimistic than England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson who, on learning that Rooney had suffered two fractures of the metatarsal at Stamford Bridge last Saturday, remarked he needed "a miracle".
Ferguson added: "The break in the metatarsal is a small fracture, the one slightly above it is nothing to worry about at all. It doesn't affect the recovery and there's no damage.
"The scan will tell you everything and we'll send him back for one in a few weeks' time. If it's healed, then we've got the progress we want. If not, then there's nothing we can do about it. We have to carry on with the treatment."
'Manchester United have been here before. Four years ago, the nation held its breath as its iconic footballer struggled to overcome a broken metatarsal, and to this day Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced David Beckham should not have gone to the 2002 World Cup.
In the fifth day of impassioned debate on whether Wayne Rooney could or should play any part in Germany, the Manchester United manager argued it was important England did not repeat past mistakes of rushing a player back too quickly.
Beckham, whose metatarsal was broken by Deportivo La Coruna's Aldo Duscher in a European Cup quarter-final in early April, resumed full training just five days before England's opening group game against Sweden - 48 days after the original challenge. Ferguson said Beckham's decision to fly to Dubai for a pre-tournament get-together only harmed the England captain's cause.
"I think it would have been much better had he stayed here, but he wanted to go to Dubai," Ferguson said. "I really don't think he was fit enough to play in a World Cup."
England's opening World Cup fixture is 36 days away, and Ferguson added: "We must not rush Wayne back too early. The boy wouldn't do himself justice, and that would be an even bigger disappointment for England fans.
"We want him on the plane if we can, but we are not going to do anything to jeopardise the boy - and you have to have your doubts with an injury like that."
Ferguson was, however, more guardedly optimistic than England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson who, on learning that Rooney had suffered two fractures of the metatarsal at Stamford Bridge last Saturday, remarked he needed "a miracle".
Ferguson added: "The break in the metatarsal is a small fracture, the one slightly above it is nothing to worry about at all. It doesn't affect the recovery and there's no damage.
"The scan will tell you everything and we'll send him back for one in a few weeks' time. If it's healed, then we've got the progress we want. If not, then there's nothing we can do about it. We have to carry on with the treatment."
