The Times:
Sven-Goran Eriksson's determination to have Wayne Rooney available against Trinidad & Tobago this evening led to the Football Association summoning the country's leading foot surgeon to Germany yesterday. With about 40 million people effectively looking over his shoulder, Professor Angus Wallace could not have felt under greater pressure if he had been called on to play in the World Cup.
There was no doubting what verdict Eriksson was expecting from the orthopaedic surgeon, with the Swede declaring that Rooney "is match fit in my opinion". The head coach may even choose to ignore the advice of a doctor who, only last week, said that the Manchester United striker should not play for another ten days. "My opinion is that he's match fit, but I will sleep on it," Eriksson said. "It must be my final decision."
The latest twist in the saga overshadowed the troubling news that Gary Neville is out of this evening's group B match, when England will hope to secure their place in the last 16, and next week's game against Sweden. Victory against Trinidad is expected, even if the conditions are likely to be sweltering, but an appearance by Rooney was the subject of much debate inside and outside the England camp.
Eriksson told the striker a couple of days ago to prepare for 20 minutes off the bench against the team from the Caribbean and, left to the head coach, he will make his long-awaited comeback in the Frankenstadion tonight.
If only it were that simple. Opinion has even been split among the England medical staff, with Leif Sward, the team doctor, declaring Rooney ready to play and Ivan Carminati, the fitness coach, causing consternation by talking publicly of the striker being "70 per cent".
Wallace is described as a man certain in his opinions and only last week, having examined the scan on Rooney's foot, declared that the striker should not play until after the group stage. But some within the FA believe that they, rather than a foot surgeon, are better placed to judge a player's match fitness.
"Rooney told me he's match fit three weeks ago," Eriksson said yesterday and the striker, who has been playing a full part in training for some days, will be hugely frustrated if he is forced to wait to face Sweden. So will Eriksson, whose desperation to bring back Rooney as quickly as possible is less to do with concerns about overcoming tonight's opponents than getting him match fit for the latter rounds.
The Sun:
Sven Goran Eriksson will beg Wayne Rooney's doc for the right to play him against Trinidad & Tobago tonight.
The FA flew Professor Angus Wallace to Germany yesterday to see how Rooney's broken toe is healing.
Now Eriksson hopes to use his superstar striker as a sub, insisting: "For me, Wayne Rooney is match-fit."
But Gary Neville is out for 10 days with a calf injury — meaning he will miss tonight's game, the Sweden clash and England's first knockout match.
Eriksson added: "Whether Rooney will play some part in the game, I have not decided.
"Let me sleep on it. Tomorrow I will decide. Almost for sure he will not be starting against Trinidad. He doesn't yet have 90 minutes in his legs."
England coach Eriksson has always insisted he will be the man who decides when Rooney returns after a row with the player's Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson.
But the FA agreed with United that independent specialist Prof Wallace would first give Rooney the all-clear.
The doc was scheduled to fly to Germany tomorrow but the FA brought his flight forward.
Prof Wallace last night confirmed: "I am going to speak with England. There will be a report on Thursday afternoon and maybe an announcement after that. I have got nothing more to say."
Guardian:
Sven-Goran Eriksson announced the news that Sir Alex Ferguson had been dreading last night when he confirmed his intentions to defy medical opinion and use Wayne Rooney in tonight's game against Trinidad & Tobago. The England head coach has ignored professional advice by declaring Rooney fit but he will definitely be without another Manchester United player after Gary Neville pulled out with a calf strain.
On another day to strain relations between Eriksson and Ferguson, Neville was taken to hospital to ascertain the seriousness of his problem and, as Owen Hargreaves prepared to fill in at right-back, an independent foot-injury specialist widely regarded as the best in his business flew into Germany to pass a second opinion on Rooney, a visit that had been prearranged as a courtesy to Manchester United.
It is only eight days since Professor Angus Wallace, from Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre, warned Eriksson against playing Rooney before the knockout phase but the Swede has taken little notice thus far and he repeatedly made it clear he will reach his own conclusion from Rooney's performances in training, where he reported the 20-year-old had been "very good, excellent, challenging everyone just as usual".
Showing a side to him that Ferguson and the medical staff at Old Trafford regard as reckless, Eriksson also seems to be going against the advice of the team's fitness coach, Ivan Carminati, who said on Tuesday that it would be another week before Rooney was fully fit. "My opinion is that he is now match-fit," said Eriksson. "He will not start because I do not think he has 90 minutes in his legs but, for me, he is fit. I will sleep on it and make a decision in the morning."
PA:
Sven-Goran Eriksson insists he will be the man to take the final decision on whether or not Wayne Rooney plays against Trinidad and Tobago.
Eriksson believes Rooney is "match-fit" and ready to play some part in Thursday's Group B game in Nuremberg.
The striker will not start the game but Eriksson will decide before the kick-off whether to bring him on at some point, from the bench.
Asked if the final decision would be his, Eriksson said: "It must be. But tomorrow."
Rooney has been out for six and a half weeks with a broken foot and resumed full training less than a week ago.
There were suggestions in Nuremberg on Wednesday that the independent medical experts involved in Rooney's foot scan last week were on their way to Germany. The Football Association refused to comment on this.
When asked specifically if orthopaedic specialist Angus Wallace was flying out, Eriksson said: "I have no comments about that."
Wallace and Chris Moran, both of Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, were expert advisors used to help the FA and Manchester United reach an agreement on Rooney's foot injury.