Capello - Rooney will play

Three Lions boss confirms striker to face Switzerland

By James Riach   Last updated: 7th September 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Capello - Rooney will play

Capello backs Rooney to play

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Fabio Capello has revealed that Wayne Rooney will play against Switzerland on Tuesday despite recent allegations surrounding his private life.

The 24-year-old striker has been the subject of a whirlwind of media interest after revelations in the press on Sunday, and question marks had been raised regarding his participation against the Swiss.

England kicked off their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a 4-0 victory over Bulgaria on Friday night, and Rooney put in a fine performance, assisting all four goals.

This came after the Manchester United man was a shadow of his former self in South Africa this summer, not managing one goal and looking out of sorts during the World Cup.

However, Capello has deemed him in a fit enough state to take part against the Swiss in Basel, saying he wants to play.

When asked if Rooney would feature, the Italian said: "Yes, he will play and I spoke with him and I monitored him during the two days after the game against Hungary and he was really, really good on the pitch.

"He will be in a good situation tomorrow and I hope the performance of Rooney tomorrow will be the same as Wembley."

When asked if he ever had any doubts on his participation, he added: "No. I think absolutely not because during the training he was really good and I spoke with him and he is happy to play.

"When the players want to play it is extremely important for me.

Pitch matters

"The players know what they have to do in their private life, but it is private life. The players know what I ask of them usually but I think also for us, for the team, the performance on the pitch is really important.

"I am a manager, they are players, you have to play to win. You have to separate them.

"We are focused on the game and not on the private lives of the players. We are here to play this game and we train very well.

"I spoke with some players after the (Hungary) game, there are no injuries and we are happy with this."

Switzerland are expected to provide the Three Lions' sternest test in the qualifying group as Ottmar Hitzfeld's side proved their worth after beating Spain during the World Cup this summer.

Capello is torn between Gary Cahill, Matthew Upson and Joleon Lescott on who to start in central defence alongside Phil Jagielka following Michael Dawson's injury, and he underlined the importance of the fixture.

He added: "All these players are ready to play but you can only choose 18 players.

"You have to decide the first 11 and the players for the bench.

"The most important thing is that players understand what we have to do. Switzerland are the strongest team in the group.

"This group is very balanced so we need to win every game."

Comments (17)

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Ann Mcphee says...

I couldn''t care less about anyone''s private life - I just want to see a footballer play football and play to his potential. Completely fed up with the British media - moronic leeches

Posted 13:06 7th September 2010

John Frempong says...

Rooney''s one of the best player in England at the mement and we all need to have confidence in him because he''s trying his best for his country and the team. Please, show him Respect yeah....God Bless ya''ll.

Posted 12:38 7th September 2010

Colin Webb (Chelsea fan) says...

Please Please Please have the guts to publish this letter and condem Wayne Rooney the way John Terry was condemed

Posted 05:33 7th September 2010

Garry Hales (Manchester United fan) says...

Please open your eyes to the real world. Im a huge football fan, I pay hundreds every year to watch Rooney & United play. You need to take Rooney & footballers in general off that pedestal you have them on. Just because he earns 100k a week, doesn''t mean he can do what ever he likes. Finally, as much as I love the sport, you have to put it into perspective. This guy kicks a ball around a field for 100k a week. Thats no hardship or immense pressure, infact it sounds blooming good to me. So stop making ridiculous excuses for the lad.

Posted 01:42 7th September 2010

Double Standards (Blackpool fan) says...

I have always been a believer that Footballers have a responsibility to young fans and to act in a certain way on the pitch and around it. However what happens away from the game is their own private life and it should not affect the team or the game.. But what I dont understand in Capello''s interview is that he says, "The players know what they have to do in their private life, but it is private life. The players know what I ask of them usually but I think also for us, for the team, the performance on the pitch is really important. "I am a manager, they are players, you have to play to win. You have to separate them" Seems a different Capello to the one that stripped Terry of the armband for similar ''off the field'' incidents. I know the details are different because of Bridge, but you need consistency. One rule for all or none at all. At the end of the day though, is anyone surprised.. Rooney is 24, with more money than sense.. he just has to learn from this and come out stronger... a stronger father.. a stronger husband and more importantly for all of us passionate english men.. a stronger player..

Posted 01:35 7th September 2010

Jack Brook (Manchester City fan) says...

My problem is whether he should play for England... Fair enough he assisted all 4 goals, but he has seem to lose that desire he had at United last season. I think what England need is a new emphasis on young players. Without Lampard and Terry it worked, there''s no reason it can''t. Give the young guns a chance. A Johnson looks good, so does Young, Milner. We have quality young players, Cappello shouldn''t be scared to give them a chance!

Posted 01:29 7th September 2010

Philip James (Manchester United fan) says...

Media Candy - what has his private life got to do with his employment.

Posted 01:28 7th September 2010

Aaron Jones (Manchester United fan) says...

wayne rooney should play against the swiss tomorrow. he is one of englands most talented strikers and is a credit to the team.

Posted 00:22 7th September 2010

Tony White (Manchester City fan) says...

Am I the only one to ask what the hell these journalists are doing launching these stories immediately before these critical games. They can''t be unaware of the possible impact so we have to assume that they deliberately want to cause damage. If this is part of a campaign to undermine the managers chance to produce a winning result so that they can turn the wolves on him its a work of sick and totally immoral genius whose purpose is presumably to sell more of their grubby papers. Wayne Rooney is a product a tough background living in a hyped macho world in which I suspect he''s often distanced from reality. But he''s also a footballer of sublime talent who is only just beginning to recover his self confidence following a poor world cup. He seems to have a fine family, that I''ve no doubt he''s desparate to keep and because of his selfish stupidity is now risking losing. For a young man of his age thats a terrible thing to face and if any of these journalists had any sense of deceny or anything else, they''d be trying to give his family and him [and indirectly the England team]support. But that won''t sell as many copies I guess. Its no wonder that our society is so screwed.

Posted 23:15 6th September 2010

Rory O connor (Liverpool fan) says...

I think Rooney should be playing. He is getting paid for this and has to be professional. I notice that all the united fans I have talked to think he is "only human" . A bit of a different attitude to when Terry messed up. I think he needs to sort out his private life and get some sense but when he is at work , he needs to work.

Posted 22:32 6th September 2010

Tesla Invented it says...

Quite agree, but shouldn`t the same have applied to John Terry?

Posted 22:17 6th September 2010

Hanny Olabimtan (Manchester United fan) says...

Rooney is a human with human blood flowing in his veins so in this wise,he can do what human does because being a footballer does not decode being a pastor or a saint. As long as he can handle the situation at hand, he can go ahead and handle it as he likes because it is none of anybody''s business and what others are doing privately are bad than what all these super stars does,Rooney is a man and not an angel and compare to other developed country,footballers,actors and musician are meant to enjoy themselves and wave away all the stress by having extra marital affair so this is not a big deal at all,it is common. leave the matter to his family

Posted 20:04 6th September 2010

Ian Byrne (Manchester United fan) says...

Ok, so Rooney again has personal problems, that''s fine but the real issue for me here is how can Capello come out now and say that the player''s private lives are private when only a few months ago he sacked Terry over his "PRIVATE" life issues??? Capello really needs to monitor his decisions and comments to prevent himself being a hipocritical you-know-what, even as a United supporter for 25 years I have to feel sorry for Terry after this, it now looks like capello took the easy option there and this decision shows that all players are not equal in his eyes, maybe he can''t strip Rooney of the captaincy but he can and should punish him if he wants to maintain some iota of credibility. Don Capello you are, and prove further every day, that you are an idiot of the highest caliber. Coming from an Irishman, this is the level of contempt you are now mustering because we are more than happy to see In-ger-land fail, but only if it is merited, this is not the case with you.

Posted 19:49 6th September 2010

Alihusein Namajee (Manchester United fan) says...

Rooney should be left alone his private life has nothing to do with his football. Is this another scapegoat after Tiger Woods. All sportsmen are facing similar problems and sometimes get exploited by women although they are innocent. Rooney should just concentrate on his football and leave the other part of his life private.

Posted 19:26 6th September 2010

Jim Value says...

England represents England. If we are not able to provide players of character then we should withdraw from the competition. You can not get lower than what he is reported to have done to his wife. If he is ok with Manchester then that is their Shame.

Posted 18:44 6th September 2010

Andrew Mccartney (Middlesbrough fan) says...

I no longer care what footballers do in their private lives. I just wish the media would stop "breaking" news to us smack in the middle of something important. As long as Rooney is fit to play - play him.

Posted 18:06 6th September 2010

Reds United (Manchester United fan) says...

Rooney''s personal life should not intervene with his games as long as he says he is fine and willing to run down the pitch. It is not anyones place to judge him and separate him the team or the game when in fact he looks ready to play. Ofcourse he is physically fit, and mentally im sure he would be worried (if the rumors are true). But England cannot afford to make him sit through one of the most important games in this stage. On another (but relevant) note. Rooney is also human, and a young lad trying to cope with the expectations of a country and the worldwide supporters of his club, while trying to run a family at the early age of 24. It is best that we dont judge him and disrespect him before giving him that time and chance to explain the matter.

Posted 17:02 6th September 2010
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