Reaction to Rooney injury concern
Rooney was injured in Saturday's game at Chelsea
England midfielder Steven Gerrard said it would be "impossible" for England to succeed in this summer's World Cup without striker Wayne Rooney.
The 20-year-old's participation is in doubt after he broke a bone in his foot playing on Saturday against Chelsea.
"It would be a disaster for England if we had to go to the World Cup without Wayne. He is idolised around the country and is our main man," he said.
"I think it is impossible to have a successful World Cup without Wayne."
Gerrard was ruled out of England's World Cup campaign in 2002 because he needed a groin operation.
He said the experience of watching the team's progress on TV was a "nightmare".
"I know Wayne will be desperate to go, so fingers crossed he can recover quickly from this," said Gerrard.
"Hopefully he won't have to go through what I went through in 2002. From experience I can tell him that it is a nightmare back home watching a World Cup on the TV."
What you need is your top players for the quarters, semis and final - that's when Rooney becomes crucial
Sir Bobby Robson
Former England boss Sir Bobby Robson said England's World Cup chances would be seriously affected if Rooney were to miss all or part of the campaign.
"It's depressingly sad. Without him we would go from possible World Cup winners to outsiders," Robson told BBC Radio Five Live.
"We can't replace him. I don't think there's another player like him in the country -
or even in Europe." (
![]()
)
Robson said Rooney had the quality to influence this summer's tournament in Germany.
"People who win World Cups are top individuals. Who won the World Cup for Argentina in 1986? I'll tell you - it was Diego Maradona," he said.
Robson, who is now a consultant for the Republic of Ireland national team, said Rooney must be taken to Germany - even if there was only a chance of him playing later in the tournament.
England's opening Group B match is on 10 June - exactly six weeks to the day after Rooney's injury - but should they progress, their first knock-out game would not be until 24 or 25 June.
"We need top medical advice. We need a decision on how long it will take for him to recover," said Robson, who took England to the World Cup semi-final in 1990.
"If it's two weeks does that mean he can play within six weeks or does it mean six weeks recuperation time and then he can start training?
"If it's six weeks out then he can't make it but if he's playing within six weeks then you take him. We have enough quality to beat the teams we will face in the group matches without him.
"What you need is your top players for the quarters, semis and final. That's when Rooney becomes crucial. If you can get him back for the quarter-finals then you take a chance and take him."
Wayne didn't score in any of the qualifying games, I don't think it's a total disaster
Gary Mabbutt
Former England and Tottenham star Gary Mabbutt said he did not expect Rooney to be ready for the World Cup group matches.
But he said it did not spell the end of England's World Cup hopes.
"I'm sure now that he's not going to be available, probably, for the first few games," Mabbutt told BBC Radio Five Live.
"The players there are going to want to show exactly what they can do - and I think their games are going to be raised by the fact that Wayne's not there to start with.
"Now, Wayne didn't score in any of the qualifying games. Overall, I don't think it's a total disaster."
You could play Wright-Phillips on the right, put Beckham inside with Lampard and have Gerrard in Rooney's role
Chris Waddle
Chris Waddle, who won 62 caps for England playing on the wing, said he was certain Rooney would still go to the World Cup, even if he was not fully fit for the start of the tournament.
"He's definitely worth taking if they think he'll be fit for the quarters," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
"He's not obviously going to train as well, or as hard, as he'd like to. He will be behind, we've seen that with David Beckham in 2002 when he had a similar injury."
Waddle said Liverpool's Steven Gerrard could play a key role up front for England should Rooney be unavailable.
"I've looked at permutations and you could play Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right and move David Beckham inside with Frank Lampard," he said.
"You could play Steven Gerrard in Rooney's role. He's got the talent and he's played there for Liverpool many times."