In a rare public criticism of the Manchester United forward, Ferguson said he was disappointed with Rooney for playing almost a full game for England against Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday, despite nursing a sore knee that could rule him out of the champions Barclays Premier League match away to Wolverhampton Wanderers today.

The injury has raised fears that Rooney is running himself into the ground just when England in a World Cup year and United need him.

Ferguson said Rooney should have asked to come off long before he was substituted in the 86th minute of Englands 3-1 win after complaining of a knee problem in the Carling Cup final on Sunday. I was disappointed more with Wayne than England, Ferguson said. He didnt come off, I couldnt believe it, and now hes a doubt. He should have signalled to come off.

I dont blame Fabio Capello, the England manager, but dont forget he Rooney was not supposed to be playing at all. Thats what Wayne told us on Sunday because he was feeling his knee. Then all of a sudden people put an arm round his shoulder with England and he wants to play. His own enthusiasm has caused it. He cant say no. Thats his problem.

Ferguson condemned the Wembley pitch as a ploughed field, believing it contributed to the hamstring injury that has ruled out Michael Owen for the season. But he also believes that Rooney must rein in his desire to play.

Its hard to quell people with that kind of enthusiasm because its a restless energy, thats his problem, the United manager said.

He cant sit still, hes on the go all the time. You dont want to take it away from him, but age does some good things for you. Eventually you say to yourself, I cant be bothered with all this running about all the time, and you have to take a rest some time.

The long and frenzied debate about whether Fabio Capello, the England manager, should take a gamble by including the Manchester United forward in his 23-man squad for this summers finals in South Africa ended yesterday, five days after the 30-year-old pulled up towards the end of the first half of Uniteds 2-1 victory against Aston Villa. The injury has proved much more serious than first expected.

The Times understands that Owen has suffered a complete rupture of his left hamstring, which will require the string-like tendons to be reattached when the player undergoes surgery on Monday morning.

Sir Alex Ferguson blamed the Wembley pitch, which he likened yesterday to a ploughed field, and his underuse of Owen for the injury, but the United manager offered the forward some reassurance by insisting that Owen would be at Old Trafford next season, despite speculation that he could be discarded in the summer.

Its a terrible blow for the lad and disappointing for us, too, Ferguson said. Hes never missed a training session all season. I think the heavy pitch at Wembley made some contribution to it, but its really just bad luck, so hes out for the season.

I dont think Ive played him as much as I should have, but thats had a lot to do with Wayne Rooneys form and us choosing to play with one striker a lot of the time.

Asked if Owen, who signed a two-year contract last summer with the option of a third year, would still be at the club next season, Ferguson said: Yeah, hell be here next season, absolutely.

Owen is confident he will be fit for the start of the 2010-11 campaign. Unfortunately, the specialist says I will miss the end of the season, he said. I have loved every minute of my first campaign with United and have already enjoyed some memorable moments. I am determined to come back at the start of next season in peak condition.

Capello claimed in October that he was tormented about whether to take Owen, the highest England goalscorer still playing with 40 goals in 89 internationals, to the World Cup finals, although there was an acceptance that the forward was almost certain not to be aboard the flight to South Africa unless he got more playing time with United.

Owen has played just 214 minutes of football since the turn of the year and made only three starts for the Barclays Premier League champions since scoring a hat-trick away to Wolfsburg in the Champions League on December 8.

His goal against Villa on Sunday was his ninth in 31 appearances for United this season, 20 of which have come from the substitutes bench. Owens injury will all but guarantee Jermain Defoe, the Tottenham Hotspur striker, a place in Capellos squad.

Ferguson praised Owens contribution since joining on a free transfer from Newcastle United, most notably against Wolfsburg and for scoring a stoppage-time winner in the 4-3 league victory against Manchester City at Old Trafford in September.

His training performances have been terrific, hes been good in the dressing room and every game he came on for us he made a chance, the United manager said. He may have missed some chances, which will have disappointed himself, but in the main he was always a threat in terms of movement in the last third of the field, creating chances and in some cases doing very well for us.

There was better news for United and England yesterday on Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves.

Ferdinand is expected to be fit for Uniteds game against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux today after recovering from a recurrence of a back problem that has restricted the central defender to three appearances since October 25. Rio is back for us, which is good news, Ferguson said.

Hargreaves has been tentatively pencilled in for Uniteds reserve-team match against Manchester City at Altrincham FC on Thursday. The England midfield player has not featured competitively for United since September 2008 after undergoing operations on both knees to cure a chronic tendinitis problem.

Owen Hargreaves has shown this week that hes almost ready to play again, Ferguson said. Ive got him pencilled in for a reserve game on Thursday. Hes been training with the first team, which is good to see.

2010 Organizing Committee chief executive Danny Jordaan said on Thursday that Englands bid bosses should work hard during this years World Cup, go and watch their team, and then try and convince the people that need convincing.

South Africa was awarded the World Cup after failing in its initial bid to host the 2006 tournament.

Jordaan added that it makes sense for 2018 to be a Europe-only affair.

England faces competition from Australia, Japan, the United States, Russia and joint bids from Belgium and the Netherlands, and Portugal and Spain.

The 2018 host will be chosen by FIFA in December.

The former official - 63-year-old Manfred Amerell - sought an injunction preventing the federation from saying that he had sexually harassed several people in the past.

Amerell, who denies any harassment, quit the federations refereeing committee and a post in Bavarias regional federation last month.

The two sides reached a settlement on Thursday in which Amerell withdrew his application for an injunction and the federation was to give him affidavits in which four referees accused him of harassment. He will not be allowed to publish the names.

That first 70 minutes did happen though, and for a good portion of it the Dutch dominated possession, working the wings and making the American attack look lifeless by comparison.

The Netherlands didnt create a bunch of dangerous chances, but they played well enough to expose weaknesses in the U.S. starting lineup. Their speedy wingers threatened and their central midfield controlled the action for much of a match they never looked troubled in.

Well, until the final portion of the match, when American substitutes provided a boost and outplayed the Dutch subs brought on in the second half. Carlos Bocanegras 88th minute goal made it 2-1 and when Jozy Altidore blasted a shot at goal that forced a stellar save from Maarten Stekelenburg, the Dutch fans that had been enjoying their teams domination for much of the evening were suddenly found holding their collective breath as more late chances threatened to give the United States the unlikeliest of equalizers.

The strong finish gave the Americans something to build on despite some disappointing individual performances. On a night when Landon Donovan contributed little, DaMarcus Beasley stepped up and made a strong case for being brought back into the World Cup mix. His speed, shiftiness and ability to provide quality service (including the assist on Carlos Bocanegras goal) on the left flank gave us glimpses of the Beasley of the 2002 World Cup.

Overall, the performance was better against the Dutch than the one the United States put forth in 2004, when an Arjen Robben-inspired Oranje squad thoroughly outplayed the United States in a 1-0 victory.

On Wednesday, the Dutch dominated for long stretches, and had more of the ball, but they still relied on a penalty kick and a deflected shot for their two goals. That almost wasnt enough against an American team that found a rhythm late and nearly squeezed a tie out of a match it looked destined to be blown out in.

If Bob Bradley was looking for some answers about his player pool, he got a few. Jonathan Bornsteins hold on the left back spot looks untenable after a nightmarish evening that saw him whistled for a penalty and deflect a Klaas-Jan Huntelaar shot past Tim Howard for the Netherlands second goal. He also escaped having a second penalty called against him when a ball bounced up and hit his hand in the penalty area.

If Bornstein stood out as the player who endured the worst night, Landon Donovan put in one his most anonymous outings in recent memory. He never got going and contributed nothing to an offense that showed only a faint pulse until late in the second half, when Beasley, Jozy Altidore and Alejandro Bedoya sparked the American offense into a new gear.

While there werent any players who played themselves off the World Cup roster, there were certainly players who missed their chance to impress and potentially play themselves on the World Cup roster as we stand 98 days from the United States World Cup opener against England on June 12.
Here were the players who gained the most, and lost the most, for the United States on Wednesday:

WINNERS

DAMARCUS BEASLEY

He entered the match for the injured Stuart Holden in the first half and while he started out on the right wing, he looked far more comfortable on the left wing after moving over mid-way through the second half. With no strikers emerging as viable candidates to start, Beasley could wind up taking over the left wing role if Bradley decides to move Landon Donovan to forward alongside Jozy Altidore.

The key for Beasley will be staying healthy and finding minutes with Rangers over the course of the next three months. If he can stay healthy and keep getting playing time, he will not only make the World Cup squad, hell make a strong case to start.

MICHAEL BRADLEY

Put in an incredible amount of work in the middle, serving as the one player capable of forcing the Dutch midfield into working harder to create. He picked off passes, gave his teammates an outlet to relieve pressure and provided some bite that the Americans sorely needed. His position on the team has never been in doubt, but he solidified his place as the teams best central midfielder.

JAY DEMERIT

After not being with the team since its August loss to Mexico due to eye surgery, DeMerit returned to action looking like the same strong and steady center back we saw at the Confederations Cup.

His continued strong form and will once again give Bob Bradley the option of moving Carlos Bocanegra to the left back position when Oguchi Onyewu returns. As it stands, DeMerit has done nothing to relinquish the starting role he earned last summer.

JOZY ALTIDORE

While hes essentially a starting striker by default, Altidores play on Wednesday suggests that hes growing into his role as the United States best striker. He played with confidence and never backed down from the Dutch centerbacks, drawing free kicks and making confident moves.

He surely must wish he could have another chance at the late shot he hit that forced a strong save, but that doesnt take away from a good performance. Altidore needs another forward to emerge, or for Charlie Davies to continue healing quickly, because he cannot do it alone up top.

ALEJANDRO BEDOYA

When Bedoya came in for Robbie Findley, he provided instant energy on the right wing and he delivered what could have been a key contribution when he drew a foul on the edge of the penalty area.

Hes a young prospect playing in just his second match, but Robbie Rogers shaky form of late coupled with the lack of wing midfield options could open the door for Bedoya to make a late run into the team. If he has a strong three months in Sweden with Orebro, he could very well make the squad.

LOSERS

JONATHAN BORNSTEIN

It was always going to be a tough night for Bornstein, but he didnt help himself with a tug on Wesley Sneijder in the penalty area, the handful of times he was turned by the Dutch teams wingers, or the poor passes he delivered.

The deflected goal off him wasnt his fault, and the penalty could be called soft, but at some point Bornstein needs to be more aware of game situations and sharper with the ball. As it stands, he once again looks like a liability as a starter.

LANDON DONOVAN

This was the kind of match Donovan needed to step up and impose his will in, and he did not. If you remember last summers win against Spain, Donovan was all over the field and made an impact both offensively and defensively.

On Wednesday, Donovan was barely noticeable and his inactivity made it tougher for the American midfield to deal with the Dutch. It was a disappointing night, particularly given how well he has played during his loan spell with Everton.

JOSE TORRES

The young midfielder had a rough beginning to the match, and while he eventually settled down, he still struggled to find the game and make an impact. He did try one promising long-range shot that finished a yard over the crossbar, but contributed little else.

He is still a good bet to make the World Cup squad, but he squandered a chance to create some distance between he, Benny Feilhaber and Maurice Edu in the race to start alongside Michael Bradley.

ROBBIE FINDLEY

After beating out Jeff Cunningham for the chance to play in this match, Findley responded with a forgettable showing. He never really threatened and just couldnt make his mark.

His lack of impact was magnified by the play of Altidore, who drew fouls and tested the Dutch defense even as the attack struggled to provide him with quality service. Findleys sub-par showing only serves as a reminder of how few forward options there are.

EDDIE JOHNSON

If this was to be Johnsons case for making another World Cup squad, then it was certainly a bad one. His poor touch was on display from his opening minute on the field and he failed to make an impact even as his teammates found a way to push the action.

He may still be young and he could still find a good role with Aris FC, but based on his performance Wednesday, Johnson still looks like a player incapable of contributing much at the World Cup.

ASIAN CUP QUALIFYING

Group A

Japan 2, Bahrain 0

Hong Kong 0, Yemen 0

Group B

Australia 1, Indonesia 0

Oman 0, Kuwait 0

Group C

Uzbekistan 0, United Arab Emirates 1

Group D

Syria 4, Lebanon 0

Group E

Iran 1, Thailand 0

Jordan 2, Singapore 1

—

FRIENDLIES

Albania 1, Northern Ireland 0

Algeria 0, Serbia 3

Angola 1, Latvia 1

Armenia 1, Belarus 3

Austria 2, Denmark 1

Belgium 0, Croatia 1

Bosnia-Herzegovina 2, Ghana 1

Cyprus 0, Iceland 0

England 3, Egypt 1

France 0, Spain 2

Germany 0, Argentina 1

Georgia 2, Estonia 1

Greece 0, Senegal 2

Moldova 1, Kazakhstan 0

Luxembourg 1, Azerbaijan 2

Macedonia 2, Montenegro 1

Malta 1, Finland 2

Mozambique vs. Botswana

Netherlands 2, United States 1

Nigeria 5, Congo 2

Poland 2, Bulgaria 0

Portugal 2, China 0

Romania 0, Israel 2

Russia 1, Hungary 1

Scotland 1, Czech Republic 0

Slovakia 0, Norway 1

Slovenia 4, Qatar 1

South Africa 1, Namibia 1

Switzerland 1, Uruguay 3

Turkey 2, Honduras 0

Venezuela 0, Panama 2

Wales 0, Sweden 1

Zimbabwe 2, Malawi 1

At Monaco

Italy 0, Cameroon 0

At London

South Korea 2, Ivory Coast 0

At Pasadena, California

Mexico vs. New Zealand

At Los Angeles

El Salvador vs. Guatemala

The 19-year-old midfielder sustained fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg following a tackle from Ryan Shawcross and underwent successful surgery on Saturday evening.

Khalid Baloch was the consultant trauma surgeon at Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham when Eduardo broke his leg in similar circumstances following a crunching tackle from Martin Taylor.

Eduardo made a return to action after a year on the sidelines and Baloch, who has only seen pictures of Ramseys injury, believes the Wales international faces a similar rehabilitation.

I expect it is deja vu for Arsenals staff and will bring back memories for them. If you look at the pictures it is similar to where Eduardo was holding his leg, Baloch told the Daily Mirror.

The Arsenal physios and doctors have seen this before though and it will be fresh in their minds.

I expect eventually Ramsey will have the same type of intensive rehab and play again. Arsenals physios did a great job with Eduardo.

He added: There were some similarities with Eduardo and a leg break is usually six to nine months out.

The mechanism of the injury is obviously similar with two players getting involved in a tackle and one players foot hits the others leg.

Whenever any break has a significant bend in it, as his did, there is a possibility for a compound fracture but it is hard to tell if that happened to Ramsey as well.

Loew said Friday that the two young midfielders deserve a first chance with the national team following good performances in the Bundesliga over recent months. Leverkusen heads the table and Bayern is second.

The German football federation said Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese is out of next Wednesdays match in Munich with an injury. Hamburg midfielder Marcell Jansen also is doubtful for the game.

The Argentina match will be Germanys last before its World Cup squad is named in May.

The Blues travel to the San Siro for Wednesday nights Champions League clash with tensions having resurfaced between Ancelotti and Mourinho.

The pair endured a strained relationship during their time at the Milanese rivals and former AC boss Ancelottis taunts will add further fuel to the fire.

He told Italian newspaper Il Giornale that thanks to Mourinhos behaviour the whole of Italy, Inter fans excluded, will be supporting Chelsea.

Ancelotti also hit out at Mourinho for dismissing the achievements of his successors at Chelsea following his departure from Stamford Bridge.

Its true that after him (Mourinho) nobody has won anything for Chelsea, although some bloke called Grant didnt do so bad and came close with the Champions League final, added Ancelotti.

He is good at charging up the atmosphere and the team, but its ground I would never go on.

Andersons long-term future at United has been the subject of speculation for the last few weeks after a reported bust-up with Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 21-year-old has not featured for the first-team since the Carling Cup defeat to Manchester City on 19 January and he is thought to have infuriated Ferguson by skipping training to return to his native Brazil.

Anderson admits he went to Brazil to consider his future as he fears his lack of regular action at United will jeopardise his chances of making his countrys World Cup squad.

The conversations with Ferguson are private but I have explained my situation, said Anderson.

I went to Brazil to think about my future and not to negotiate with other clubs.

One of my dreams this season is to make the Brazil squad for the World Cup but the fact is that if I do not play for United then the national coach Dunga is not going to be interested in me.

This is very hard for me because I need minutes on the field during the coming matches. I always had a good relation with Ferguson. He has asked me for more effort and I accept that, but I need more chances to play in the first team.

The former Porto man concedes he has yet to produce his best for United since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2007

I have won titles in Manchester but still the people have not seen my real performance on the field, added Anderson. I am not a machine. It is impossible to function 100% in each match and I accept that I have not played well during some matches but those were not significant enough to stop me playing for a long time.

The tough-tackling midfielder, who was left out of the squad for last weeks Champions League trip to AC Milan, insists he would be happy to stay at United if he is afforded more first-team opportunities.

The decision not to ask me to travel to Milan was down to the coach, noted Anderson. I just hope I have more luck and can play in the return game.

I am a professional footballer and my responsibility is to United. Am I happy? I would say I am optimistic. If I play more games then I will be happy. But that is normal.

Some European clubs have asked about me but, as far as I am concerned, my future is still with United.

I am not finished here and Im convinced that I can offer much to this team in the decisive moments of the season.