Rooney unlikely to return soon

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney could be out of action for longer than the initial prognosis of three weeks, manager Sir Alex Ferguson said yesterday.

Rooney, who signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford last week after first shocking the club by saying he wanted to leave, is currently on holiday recovering from an ankle injury.

When asked at a press conference yesterday if three weeks was still the prognosis for his return, Ferguson said: "I think it may be longer."

Rooney was injured in training last week following a challenge with team-mate Paul Scholes.
"There is no recovery, it is just rest," Ferguson said. "Before he went away we did his remedial in terms of what we could do at the time. Thereafter, restu00a0-- we're quite happy with that."