[1]England manager Roy Hodgson will hope his side can banish the Wayne Rooney transfer sideshow from the sports pages by beating their oldest rivals Scotland in Wednesday’s friendly at Wembley.
The build-up to the game has been dominated by speculation about the Manchester United striker, whose club manager David Moyes lost his patience when quizzed about Rooney’s future by reporters after Sunday’s Community Shield.
The subject of two unsuccessful bids from Chelsea, Rooney has not played in any of United’s pre-season games due to hamstring and shoulder injuries, but Hodgson says he is “physically fit” to face the Scots.
Given his lack of match fitness, it seems unlikely that the 27-year-old will be able to manage much more than a cameo, and Hodgson must also show care with some of his other first-team stars.
Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere and captain Steven Gerrard are all returning after injury, and with the Premier League season beginning on Saturday, avoiding further injuries will be a key consideration.
Around 20,000 Scottish fans are expected to descend on London for Wednesday’s game, which will be the first meeting between the sides since England edged a European Championship play-off in 1999.
The fixture, the oldest in international football, has shaped British football history, from Scotland’s 1967 victory over the then world champions at Wembley to England midfielder Paul Gascoigne’s famous volley at Euro 96.
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/s2jpg-286