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Sports / Soccer
Rooney's return perfectly timed for United
(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-19 10:28
LISBON: Sir Alex Ferguson will let Wayne Rooney off the leash as
Manchester United starts its Champions League challenge at Sporting
Lisbon on Wednesday.
Rooney has been sidelined since breaking a metatarsal bone in United's
first match of the season against Reading, but he is set to feature at
the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (in red) receives treatment from a
physio during their English Premier League soccer match against Reading
in Manchester, northern England August 12, 2007. [Reuters]
The England striker returned to training last week and was keen to play
against Everton on Saturday, but Ferguson wasn't prepared to risk him
until he was fully fit.
With United strangely lacklustre in attack so far this season, Rooney's
return is perfectly timed.
The Premier League champion hasn't scored more than once in any of its
seven matches this season. Successive 1-0 wins against Tottenham,
Sunderland and Everton have been more notable for United's lack of
fluency than the results.
But having Rooney fit and desperate to make up for lost time should go a
long way to solving the problem.
The last time Rooney broke a toe was before the 2006 World Cup. Just
weeks after suffering the injury he announced his return to action by
walking into the England team's hotel and proclaiming 'the big man is
back'. Unfortunately he was far from match fit and made little impact in
the tournament.
This time Ferguson believes Rooney's rehabilitation has been managed to
ensure he come back with a bang. Rooney won't the only prodigal son
returning to the fold on Wednesday.
United wingers Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani left Sporting for Old Trafford,
the former in 2003 and the latter this close-season, while Ferguson's
assistant Carlos Queiroz coached the club in the mid-1990s.
Ronaldo's impact in England has been immense and he was United's driving
force as it won the Premier League title for the first time in four years
last season.
Nani has already showed signs of emulating Ronaldo since his 15 million
pounds transfer.
He has played a decisive role in each of United's last three wins. His
deflected long-range strike earned a 1-0 win against Tottenham, while his
crosses were responsible for Louis Saha's winner against Sunderland and
Nemanja Vidic's late goal at Everton on Saturday.
If Rooney, Ronaldo and Nani are to enjoy triumphant returns, United,
beaten in the semifinals by AC Milan last season, will have to find a way
to improve on its woeful Champions League away form.
Ferguson's side, which is likely to be without the injured Owen
Hargreaves again, has won only two of its last 14 away games in Europe's
top club competition.
Vidic knows United has to end that run if it is to have any hope of
winning the Champions League 40 years after Sir Matt Busby first brought
the European Cup to Old Trafford.
The Serbian defender is targeting a victory in Portugal as the perfect
springboard for the rest of the group stage, which includes daunting
assignments at Roma and Dynamo Kiev.
"It's really important that we get off to a good start in the Champions
League," Vidic said. "We know Sporting Lisbon will be difficult to play
against.
"They are technically very good and they know how to keep possession of
the ball, which makes it difficult. But we want to start the tournament
well and get a good result."
United is firm favorite to win the group, although Sporting harbours
realistic ambitions of joining Ferguson's side in the knockout stages.
Paulo Bento's team went third in the league with a 2-0 win at Estrela
Amadora on Sunday and United will have to beware Brazilian striker
Liedson, who was on target in that match, as well as midfield playmaker
Joao Moutinho.
Sporting has never lost at home to an English opponent in five matches,
although a repeat of the 5-0 thrashing it inflicted on United when it
last met in 1964 would surely be beyond its wildest dreams.
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