Would England be left impotent without Wayne Rooney?

We’ve seen it before, when a younger, fuller haired Wayne Rooney, less ravaged by male pattern baldness, had become a question mark for the World Cup as a result of injury. Nobody wants to see history repeat itself, and the question of whether Sir Alex Ferguson is perhaps risking England’s danger man for last ditch success in the league is a fair one, given that he looked far from fit against Manchester City at the weekend.

Critics and fans alike are often debating whether an absent Rooney would render the England squad impotent and there is certainly a strong case for their impotence, given his prolific record in an England shirt and the debatable lack of results in his absence.

Rooney burst onto the international scene in 2003 as a youngster, posing stiff competition for a host of centre halves, briefly becoming the competition’s youngest scorer ever.

Rooney’s injury has led a number of key figures to join the debate and ex Manchester United star and current Sunderland boss; Steve Bruce has expressed his desire for Rooney to stay fit as well as his opinion that England need Rooney if they are to make any headway against the firm competition.

Manager, Fabio Capello has already called for greater protection for his main man from 'hit men' during a conversation with a source close to the england front man.