LONDON - England's team
doctors will have to inform FIFA by May 30 if they expect Wayne Rooney to
recover in time to take part in the World Cup.
Rooney is having an MRI scan on Thursday to determine the progress of his
recovery from his metatarsal injury.
Once the results of the scan are known, Manchester United's assistant team
doctor Tony Gill - who has taken over Rooney's care following the abrupt
departure of Mike Stone - will liaise with England medical staff.
England team doctor Leif Sward then will have to inform FIFA by Tuesday that
he expects all the players in the squad will be mentally and physically fit to
play in the World Cup.
"Each team physician have to confirm by May 30 that their players are
physically and mentally fit to participate in the World Cup," FIFA chief medical
officer Dr. Jiri Dvorak said. "If Wayne Rooney is on the list, then that is in
principle confirmation that it is anticipated he will have recovered in time to
participate in the tournament."
Every player has to have a range of medical tests, including heart
monitoring, and be signed off by the national team doctor.
FIFA says it views this as a statement of intent that a player will be
available to take part in the tournament, although if Rooney broke down again,
Sven-Goran Eriksson would have until June 9 to replace him in the squad.
Meanwhile, the departure of Stone from Manchester United remains unclear
beyond the fact that he had a major bust-up with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Stone has had his employment with United terminated with immediate effect but
club officials insist his departure has nothing to do with Rooney's recovery
from the broken metatarsal he suffered at Chelsea last month.
Given the cautious tone he adopted over the 20-year-old's chances of playing
in Germany this summer, Ferguson presumably has grown increasingly unhappy at
the number of positive bulletins being released on Rooney's condition.
Although most of the statements have been attributed to the England doctor
Sward, Stone has been liaising closely with the Swede.
Given the importance to United of Rooney being fit for the start of next
season, it would be understandable if Ferguson found the present upbeat mood
irritating, possibly triggering an argument over an unrelated matter that led to
confirmation of Stone's departure in a club statement.
"We can confirm Dr. Stone has left the club," a statement from United said.
"There was a difference of opinion on a non-footballing and non-clinical issue,
as a result of which Dr. Stone felt it to be in his and the club's best
interests for him to leave.
"The difference was over a non-clinical issue and had nothing whatsoever to
do with any medical treatment to a Manchester United player."
The dismissal has been greeted with shock and some sense of sadness within
Red Devils circles, where Stone has been a popular figure among both players and
staff since his arrival in 1999.
Senior figures at the club - including Ferguson - stood by Stone over the Rio
Ferdinand missed drug test fiasco in 2003, when he elected to try to get a
message to the defender that he was required to take a test rather than ensure
he attended it personally.
The loyalty shown at that time only makes his exit even more of a shock.
