Fabio Capello is considering whether to take Wayne Rooney to next summer’s European Championship after the striker was banned for three matches.

Capello was as stunned as the Manchester United forward after UEFA described his foul on Montenegro’s Miodrag Dzudovic last Friday as ‘assault’ and denied England their best player for all three group games in Poland and Ukraine.

Banished: Wayne Rooney was sent off in Montenengro

The England manager must first see if the FA succeed with a possible appeal. But Capello was facing the possibility of trying to navigate the group stage without Rooney, and that has forced him to consider whether it is worth taking him at all.

Shocked England officials have yet to decide if they will appeal amid concerns that UEFA could extend the ban to a fourth match should they fail. The FA have been told there is a ‘small risk’ of that and want assurances that the suspension will not be increased before asking for a review.

The FA received the decision, made by UEFA’s control and disciplinary body, by fax on Thursday afternoon but were still awaiting the detailed reasons behind it.

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