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Rooney set for extended spell on the sidelines

LONDON: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney could be out of action for longer than the initial prognosis of three weeks, manager Sir Alex Ferguson said on Friday.

Rooney, who signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford last week after first shocking the club by saying he wanted to leave, is currently on holiday recovering from an ankle injury.

When asked at a press conference on Friday if three weeks was still the prognosis for his return, Ferguson said: “I think it may be longer.”

Rooney was injured in training last week following a challenge with Paul Scholes.

The 25-year-old has since been given permission to travel to Dubai to recuperate and celebrated his birthday there with wife Coleen last weekend while United was winning 2-1 at Stoke.

Ferguson has no plans to rush Rooney back and he believes a longer-than-expected period of rest is the best cure for the England striker.

“There is no recovery, it is just rest,” Ferguson said. “Before he went away we did his remedial in terms of what we could do at the time. Thereafter, rest — we're quite happy with that.

Rooney appeared to be on his way out of Old Trafford last week when he criticised the club's lack of ambition.

He was eventually persuaded to stay after being handed a massive wage increase, while the Glazer family, who owns United, made personal assurances that there would be increased investment in new players.

Rooney's prolonged absence puts pressure on Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov and young Mexican striker Javier Hernandez to lead United's attack until he returns to fitness.— AFP

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