UK Roundup

Everton's Rooney to miss start of season

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) -- Everton's teenage England striker, Wayne Rooney, will miss the start of the Premier League season with a right ankle injury, the club said Sunday.

Rooney, 17, was taken off the field in a stretcher in the first half of Everton's 3-2 preseason away win over Rangers on Saturday following a challenge with Bob Malcolm.

He went for an X-ray Saturday night, and another test Sunday confirmed he sustained ligament damage but no break.

"He has been for a (magnetic resonance) scan this morning and visited a consultant who reviewed the information and confirmed the diagnosis as damaged ankle ligaments," Everton's head physio, Mick Rathbone, said on the club's Web site.

The Premier League season begins on Aug. 16, with England playing Croatia in a friendly four days later.

"He will return to see the specialist in 12 days time, and we anticipate that he will be out for around four weeks," said Rathbone.

Rooney will begin "intensive rehabilitation" while Everton continues its preseason preparations in Scotland, the club said.

Rooney became the youngest player to appear in a competitive game for England in March, when he came on as a substitute in a Euro 2004 qualifier against Liechtenstein.

Moyes threatens to quit Everton if Rooney sold

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) -- Everton manager David Moyes, considered one of the top young coaches in Britain, says he would "probably" leave the team if it decided to sell teenage England striker Wayne Rooney.

Rooney, 17, is the latest player to be linked with cash-rich Chelsea.

"I would probably decide to leave if the club ever sells Wayne," Moyes was quoted as saying in Sunday's Daily Star. "I am here to build a young side -- not to sell our best players."

Rooney "is not for sale," the Scot added.

"Clubs can offer what they like, but he is going nowhere," said Moyes.

Everton finished a surprising seventh in the Premier League in Moyes' first season in charge.

Fashanu denies match-fixing claims

LONDON (AP) -- Former Wimbledon striker John Fashanu denied a published report Sunday that he was paid to fix soccer matches.

The News of the World, a Sunday tabloid, reported that Fashanu told undercover journalists match fixing "happens all the time in football."

Fashanu was cleared of match fixing after a high-profile trial six years ago.

"I tell (players) that this has got to happen. This is the situation. We cannot win. There are no ifs or buts, we have to lose," Fashanu was also quoted as saying.

Fashanu told the BBC's Radio Five Live he was playing along with the reporters and informed police.

"We had got the information, that is myself and my manager, quite some time ago," he said Sunday. "To be honest, I was quite intrigued as to where we were actually going with this whole thing, because it was getting so ludicrous in the end."

England's Football Association will decide what action to take -- if any -- this week, said spokesman Adrian Bevington.

"Obviously these are allegations in a newspaper which we will give consideration to over the next few days," said Bevington. "If there is evidence (the newspaper) wants to bring to our attention, we will look at that closely and decide what action to take."

Fashanu, former Liverpool 'keeper Bruce Grobbelaar, Hans Segers and Asian businessman Richard Lim were acquitted of criminal conspiracy charges in 1997.

Keane considering retirement

MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Manchester United's Roy Keane says he might retire soon.

The hard-nosed Irish midfielder was sidelined for four months last season with a hip injury, hampering his performance.

"I know I have a couple of years left on my contract, but what do contracts mean?" Keane was quoted as saying in several English newspapers on Sunday. "I will see how this season goes. But the next two or three, I am not so sure."

Keane, 31, knows he wasn't at his best after coming back from the hip injury.

"The old Roy Keane has gone, the Roy Keane of charging all over the pitch, and I hope that doesn't mean the end of my career, but we'll have to see. Time is passing fast," he said.

Keane joined Manchester United in 1993.

Van Nistelrooy not for sale at any price

MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy isn't for sale at any price, United chief executive Peter Kenyon said Sunday.

The Dutch international led the Premier League with 25 goals last season and scored 44 goals in all competitions.

"Clearly Ruud is not for sale at any value," Kenyon told the BBC's Radio Five Live. "He is an essential part of the squad, and I think he is one of the players who is not for sale."

United wouldn't be able to replace van Nistelrooy, Kenyon added.

"We have got to look at it in terms of where our squad is," he said. "You could not replace Ruud. There is not another one around. Ruud is an exception, and we hope he will continue to play for Manchester United for many years to come."

Earlier in the offseason, the English champions sold popular midfielder David Beckham to Spain's Real Madrid.

Manchester United set to seal Livingston deal

MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Manchester United expects to sign a partnership deal with Scottish Premier League team Livingston, United chief executive Peter Kenyon said Sunday.

"Things with Livingston aren't finalized, but they will be very shortly," said Kenyon.

Manchester United has agreements in place with several European teams, including Portugal's Sporting Lisbon and Ireland's Shelbourne.

The teams work together on youth development, scouting and training, and they can exchange players.

"Manchester United used to get a lot of players from Scotland," said Kenyon. "That has dried up in recent years, so maybe this will help change that."

 

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