Quote:

Sir Alex Ferguson has suggested Wayne Rooney is unlikely to play any further part in Manchester United's bid for the Premier League title.

Rooney, who has recently been struggling with an ankle injury, missed United's 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur after picking up a groin problem in training on Thursday.

United opted not to risk the striker against Spurs and Ferguson believes it may be at least two weeks before the England international is fit again.

Ferguson will continue to monitor his top scorer's fitness, although Rooney should certainly be back in time to be part of England's World Cup campaign.

Desperate to play

"It's difficult to say," Ferguson told Sky Sports when asked if Rooney would play again this season.

"Groin injuries are groin injuries and I think it will maybe take two or three weeks to be honest with you.

"We'll try and give him every chance, obviously, and Wayne will be desperate to play himself, so we'll just have to wait and see."

Patrice Evra was forced to come off during the second half against Spurs after being sick on the pitch and Ferguson confirmed some of his players had been suffering with illness.

However, the United boss is confident that the likes of Evra will be back in rude health in time for next weekend's trip to Sunderland.
He added: "We had a bit of sickness with two or three players today, but we've got eight days to recover, so hopefully we'll be okay.

"Evra just felt it yesterday, but he felt okay to play and it just happened. Maybe the heat brought it on a little bit, it was a warm day.

"I don't know what's happened, whether it's something he ate or is something going around the place."

Quote:MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney will miss the rest of the Premier League season because of a groin injury but should be fit to play for England at the World Cup in June.
Rooney had only just recovered from an ankle injury when he hurt his groin in training on Thursday.

United manager Alex Ferguson said after Saturday's 3-1 victory over Tottenham that "it might take two or three weeks" for Rooney's groin injury to heal.

While that would rule him out of United's final two Premier League matches, it should not endanger his hopes of playing in England's World Cup opener against United States on June 12