England coach Fabio Capello has backed Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to play Wayne Rooney in Manchester United’s Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.
Rooney was a surprise starter at Old Trafford last week after picking up an ankle injury during the closing seconds of United’s first-leg defeat in Germany.
The gamble backfired as Rooney looked uncomfortable throughout and was forced off after 55 minutes after aggravating the injury.
Rooney, who missed the Premier League draw at Blackburn last weekend, will be a key member of England’s squad, but Capello insists he was not concerned by Ferguson’s selection of the striker.
Capello told The Sun: “I perfectly understand Sir Alex’s decision to play Rooney because he knows how important he is psychologically for the whole team.
“I don’t think he took an unnecessary risk.
“If he played Rooney after the pre-match tests, clearly his conditions allowed him to do so.”
