Wayne Rooney's hopes of playing in the World Cup finals could be decided by May 25 when he undergoes another scan on his broken metatarsal.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will then have a better idea of whether the 20-year-old is likely to have recovered sufficiently to be part of his 23-man squad for Germany.
Eriksson will have until June 9 - the day before England's opening group game with Paraguay - to make any final decision on the Manchester United star.
But a negative reaction to the scan in eight days' time - on the day England take on Belarus in a 'B' international at Reading - would leave Eriksson in a quandary as to whether to gamble on including his most lethal weapon.
Eriksson said: "Wayne will have a scan on May 25. At least we will know much more how the situation is regarding him after that date.
"I don't have a date for when Rooney will join the England squad. It is difficult to say but we will know much more after that scan. Hopefully it is good news.
"I spoke to Wayne last week and he is working and doing everything he has been asked to do - and maybe even more than that.
"I have always been positive, not because of medical reasons but because he will do absolutely everything to try to get fit as quickly as possible."
Eriksson revealed Rooney is not even contemplating the possibility of losing his fitness battle after sustaining the injury against Chelsea on the penultimate weekend of the season at Stamford Bridge.
He said: "I don't think Wayne even believes that not being at the World Cup will be the case for him. He is desperate to play in the World Cup. He has no negative thoughts like that."
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
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