Rooney ready to jog as he joins squad
Wayne Rooney joined the rest of England's World Cup squad when they gathered in Manchester last night to prepare for tomorrow's friendly against Hungary and Saturday's final warm-up match against Jamaica.While the other players train on the Old Trafford pitch, Rooney will continue his rehabilitation at Manchester United's training ground. He hopes this week to be allowed to jog for the first time since breaking his foot on April 29. The striker is set to miss the Group B matches against Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden as he recovers from a broken metatarsal.The former Sweden defender Johan Mjallby has said he would have breathed a long sigh of relief if he had avoided facing Rooney in the World Cup finals.The England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident the Manchester United forward will be available for the second round if the team progress but the former Celtic centre-half admits Sweden will prefer facing a "Rooney-less" England in the final group game in Cologne on June 20.Mjallby said: "I would say Sweden are quite happy Rooney won't be playing. Certainly, if I was playing, I would be happy about it because he is the danger man. I know England have so many other good players but they don't look too strong. If England are going to win a medal, they will need Wayne Rooney."Hungary squad to play England at Old Trafford tomorrow Kiraly (Crystal Palace), Vegh (MTK Budapest); Sebok (Zalaegerszegi TE), Vanczak (Ujpest FC), Zoltan (FC Brussels), Feher (Willem II), Eger, Komlosi, Halmosi (all Debreceni), Low (Hansa Rostock); Dardai (Hertha Berlin), Molnar (Zalaegerszegi TE), Vadocz (Auxerre), Toth (Malatyaspor), Polonkai (REAC); Gera (West Bromwich Albion), Huszti (Metz), Szabics (Cologne), Torghelle (Panathinaikos), Rajczi (Ujpest FC)Daniel TaylorMonday May 29, 2006The Guardian