DOCTOR, DOCTOR

The FA have told the doctor who saved Wayne Rooney's World Cup: We'll pick up the tab if you get sued.

Independent expert Professor Angus Wallace at first refused to give the England star the all-clear as he feared he could be hit with a multi-million pound insurance claim.

He has £5m negligence cover but thought he could be ruined if sued for far more by Manchester United or Rooney or both.

United and England rowed for SEVEN hours over Roo's fitness and the deadlock was only broken after the FA told Prof Wallace THEY would accept liability.

The fact top orthopaedic surgeon Professor Angus Wallace felt unable to give a finite decision on Rooney's toe until the FA agreed to indemnify him against liability indicates the lengths England will go to in order to ensure their star player figures in this World Cup.

Wallace even took it upon himself to lecture Rooney on the importance of getting properly fit before he plays and advised him to wear special inner soles to help with his balance.

But Eriksson has taken control and is going full-steam ahead, whatever the medics and Fergie think.

Both sides agreed before the scan that Prof Wallace would act as an independent adjudicator.

But each side then chose to interpret his findings differently. United say Wallace advised Rooney not to play any of the group games and said he must be carefully monitored after that.

But Eriksson and the FA say Prof Wallace agreed the broken metatarsal has completely healed.

They argue Prof Wallace is simply saying he does not think Rooney will be match-fit for the group stages — and question his qualifications to say so.