November 11, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 29, 1428

LONDON, Nov 10: Striker Wayne Rooney injured an ankle in training on Friday and will miss England’s friendly against Austria next week and their Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Nov 21.

Just hours after the Manchester United striker was named in England’s squad for those matches, his club announced on their website he had damaged his ankle in training and would be out for up to four weeks.

It is the second serious injury Rooney has suffered this season after breaking a bone in his foot on the opening day of the campaign which kept him out of five United matches and three England internationals.

Since recovering in September he has been in outstanding form, scoring seven goals for United in his last seven games and two more for England in his last two internationals.

Although Rooney will miss England’s next two games, former skipper David Beckham is set to win his 98th and 99th caps after being recalled to Steve McClaren’s squad on Friday after injury.

Beckham, hoping to become only the fifth England player to play 100 times for his country, is fit again after recovering from a knee ligament injury suffered with his LA Galaxy side in August that has kept him out of England’s last four games.

England face Euro 2008 co-hosts Austria in Vienna in a friendly next Friday and then host Croatia in their final Euro 2008 Group E qualifier at Wembley Stadium on Nov 21.

Croatia top the group with 26 points and have two matches to play. England have 23 points with one match to play and Russia 21 points with two to play.

If Russia beat Israel and Andorra in their remaining two matches, they will qualify, even if England defeat Croatia at Wembley.

McClaren said he was still optimistic England would qualify for next year’s finals in Austria and Switzerland.

“The main disappointment is that it is out of our hands,” he told reporters at a press briefing in Yarm, northeast England. “But I always believed the game against Croatia would be the decider and I still think that. Russia have to go to Israel — a proud nation with a great home record and we hope they get a result against Russia. The pressure is on Russia. Croatia still have to go to Macedonia and that is not an easy game. I still believe the Croatia game at Wembley will be the decider.”

McClaren, who flew to Los Angeles to check on Beckham’s fitness last week, said: “His fitness is fine, his injury is fine and he is included in the squad because although he hasn’t played many games recently he is a big game player.”—Reuters