England boss Roy Hodgson can't wait to have injured Wayne Rooney in the national team back again, saying the sooner he comes back, the better it is for the team.
Rooney's return, probably in time for next month's World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland, confirms Hodgson's total faith in him and contains consequences for his Manchester United club-mates.
Tom Cleverley currently has possession of the England No 10 shirt, and Hodgson has always said Rooney's best position is in the hole.
"We'll get the best out of him because he's desperate to play for England," the Telegraph quoted Hodgson, as saying.
"He's an excellent footballer and quality is permanent. I've spoken to him of course. He's had a nasty injury and we're hoping he gets over it as soon as possible," he added.
"The sooner he comes back into our fold the better because we are short of experienced and quality front players in England. We are blessed with quite a few very good midfielders," he said.
Danny Welbeck excelled coming off the bench to win the penalty for Frank Lampard to give England a 1-1 draw with Ukraine on Tuesday.
Welbeck reminded everyone that for all Jermain Defoe's talents, the United youngster is well-suited to that front-running role. (ANI)
