Wayne Rooney Out for Two Months

Wayne Rooney is facing up to two months on the sidelines at Manchester United after undergoing surgery to repair a six-inch wound which cut as deep as his thigh bone. Rooney, whose right thigh was sliced open by the studs of Fulham forward Hugo Rodallega in a freak collision during Saturday’s Old Trafford fixture, was forced to go under general anaesthetic prior to surgery, which included the stitching of the wound, due to the severity of the injury. The player then spent the night under observation in hospital before being discharged on Sunday morning to recover at home. But the initial fears of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson that the 26 year-old would be out for a month as a result of the gash now appear hugely optimistic with medical staff shocked by the extent of the cut. Ferguson insisted, following the Fulham game, that Rodallega could not be blamed for the injury, but the damage caused by the player’s studs has caused surprise and concern. Rooney, who will miss England’s World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine next month and the start of United’s Champions League campaign, now faces an anxious wait over his likely recovery period.