Rooney knee injury could give Capello a headache

Rooney has not trained since victory over Liverpool (GETTY IMAGES)

Wayne Rooney has not trained since Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Sunday – evidence, it seems, that he may still be troubled by the knee problems which have been affecting him for nearly a month.

Rooney was limping heavily as he walked around the Old Trafford touchline an hour after Sunday's match had finished and though he did not need medical treatment on Monday, he missed training sessions on Tuesday and yesterday and seems unlikely to play for United at Bolton on Saturday lunchtime. The ultimate worry for Fabio Capello is an injury to Rooney.

The striker admitted after the Carling Cup final on 28 February that his knee was swollen and again when he reported for England duty the next day. He was diagnosed with inflammation to his kneecap tendons, though this did not prevent him playing a full part in England's game against Egypt three days later. Rooney missed the trip to Wolves the following weekend though has shown no visible sign of pain in the three games since.

United's Owen Hargreaves, who plans to continue his rehabilitation with another reserve-team match tonight, has revealed he is still undergoing a course of injections to manage the pain of the tendon injury in his shins. Hargreaves is anxious about whether he is capable of playing an integral role at Old Trafford again. "I'm not coming back to just be one of the guys, to fill a spot," he said. "I've never been that way and, if that's the case, then I'd rather walk away."