From today's paper:
Sven Goran Eriksson last night said he intended to promote Wayne Rooney to his side's starting line-up for the World Cup tie against Sweden in Cologne on Tuesday. The England coach plans at least two changes after the laboured 2-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago that ensured progress to the last 16, and the one guaranteed to excite maximum interest will see Rooney play from the start, less than two weeks after Manchester United said he would not be fit to play any part in the tournament's group games.
It emerged yesterday that Rooney made his World Cup debut in Nuremberg only after he and Eriksson had both insisted on it, forcing Brian Barwick, the FA's beleaguered chief executive, to back down. Barwick, intimidated by the threat of legal action from United in the event of the £27m man suffering a recurrence of his metatarsal fracture, was against Rooney playing and relented only after a heated exchange with Eriksson, who had promised his potential match-winner a runout as substitute as long ago as last Monday.
When the coach subsequently told Rooney that he might not be allowed to play after all, the striker is said to have exploded with rage, persuading Eriksson to confront Barwick over the issue.
Although he was playing against his club's wishes, Rooney's introduction after 58 minutes had such a galvanising effect that Eriksson has now decided he cannot afford to do without him. "We are a better team with Rooney, there's no doubt about that," he said. "He links the play better than anybody else." If England avoid defeat against Sweden and top Group B, they will be rewarded with more rest between games as the tournament progresses.