Rooney Struck Down By Mystery Virus

Sir Alex Ferguson could be without eight first-team regulars for the start of Manchester United's defence of their Premier League title after Wayne Rooney contracted a virus on the club's pre-season tour of Africa. The England forward has been unable to train since returning from Nigeria last Monday and is expected to miss United's opening game with Newcastle United and England's friendly against the Czech Republic on August 20, with no date set for his scheduled return.

Rooney is believed to have succumbed to a virus on the final leg of United's tour and, with less than a fortnight before the new season begins, is not even close to a return to training. The 22-year-old was inoculated against malaria, hepatitis and yellow fever before traveling to South Africa last month and has undergone a series of tests at United's training complex, but has been told to stay away from Carrington until his condition improves.

"It's a virus Rooney picked up in Nigeria I believe and it's not a nice one. I doubt we'll have him for the start of the season with this virus that he's had," revealed the United manager yesterday. "It's a bad virus. He's not trained. He's not back in yet. There are only 12 days until the start of the season and he's not trained."

Despite Rooney's condition, which has also afflicted Michael Carrick to a lesser extent, Ferguson insisted Rooney had not required hospital treatment. "We've done all the investigation ourselves," he added. "We've got the facilities here to do things now. We've got our own laboratory now. All he had was malaria tablets and it was nothing to do with that. It isn't malaria."

Rooney, who missed the start of last season after suffering a metatarsal injury against Reading on the opening day, represents another serious concern for Ferguson in a problematic summer, although he insisted yesterday that Cristiano Ronaldo would not be joining Real Madrid. "The matter is closed now," Ferguson said. "He's a Manchester United player. It's finished. He's here. He's going to play here next season. Believe me, it's all over."

That view was given added credence by the Real president, Ramón Calderón, who unveiled his club's new £10.3m signing Rafael van der Vaart yesterday with the proclamation: "Rafael van der Vaart is the first and possibly the only signing of the summer for Real Madrid."

Ronaldo and Rooney are now expected to miss the season's start, with the Portugal winger out until possibly October as he recovers from ankle surgery. A definitive date for Ronaldo's return will be set once United's medical staff have assessed his recovery this week. Along with United's main attacking threat, Owen Hargreaves, Park Ji-Sung, Nani, Anderson, Louis Saha and Carrick could all be unavailable for Newcastle's visit to Old Trafford on August 17, although the latter may recovery from illness to play some part in Sunday's Community Shield against Portsmouth.

Hargreaves is recovering from another bout of tendinitis, while Park has aggravated the cruciate ligament injury that forced him to miss the majority of last season and Saha, though surplus to requirements and a target for Sunderland, has been receiving treatment for a knee injury in France. With Anderson away on Olympic duty for Brazil and Nani suspended for the first two Premier League games as a consequence of a red card incurred against West Ham in May (the suspension does not apply for the Community Shield) Ferguson's usually enviable options are limited. Gary Neville, who has played just nine competitive minutes in the past 16 months, has also been suffering from a calf strain but could return for tonight's pre-season friendly at home to Juventus.

Ferguson is also searching for an assistant following the departure of Carlos Queiroz to the Portugal national side. "I'm not really doing any more myself," insisted Ferguson. "Other than looking at who's all bloody injured and who's got viruses and worrying about whether we're going to have a team to start the season."

At least the saga of Ronaldo's threatened move to Madrid appears close to being resolved in United's favor.