England to leave Rooney out of Euro2012 build-up
MANCHESTER UNITED striker Wayne Rooney will be left out of England manager Fabio Capello’s starting line-up in the build-up to Euro 2012 after he was sent off in Montenegro on Friday.
Rooney will definitely miss at least his side’s first game, and will learn this week whether or not Uefa will exact further punishment after he kicked Miodrag Dzudovic in the 2-2 draw in Podgorica that confirmed qualification.
The 25-year-old will definitely miss the visit of World Cup holders Spain to Wembley next month, with Capello confirming: “Rooney will not play against Spain – absolutely. I want to test new players, a different style and a new different movement.
“Sometimes he will come on at half-time but not from the start. He will not start. We need to prepare the first 11 who will start the Euros.”
And on the possibility of Rooney actually being sidelined for games once the tournament began, he said: “If they [the other players] are good, they will play. In my life as a manager I have put a lot of players on the bench. I always decided who was the best player for me at that moment.”
Rooney aside, England are currently well stocked in terms of strikers, with the likes of Darren Bent, Andy Carroll, Bobby Zamora and Danny Welbeck vying for squad places.