Unwanted headache: Fabio Capello faces a dilemma on whether to include his star player in his 23-man squad

Rooney is an idiot, but he is an extremely talented idiot and Capello can no doubt imagine the first press conference that would follow his side’s progression to the last eight. If Rooney is sitting on a beach somewhere rather than in reserve, it is unlikely to look too clever.

If, however, Manchester United’s season does not extend beyond the Barclays Premier League, if there is no FA Cup or Champions League final, there would be a counter argument — that the former Everton player could be seriously lacking match sharpness by the quarter-final.

Rooney’s last competitive game would be United’s final Premier League fixture at Sunderland on May 13, while England’s first knockout tie could be as late as June 24. A gap of six weeks.

Yes, there will be two England friendlies between the end of the club season and the start of the tournament on June 8. But these are games, as Capello has already stated, that Rooney will not start because the players who are available need to prepare as a team for what could be a difficult group.

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