SOCCER FA PREMIER LEAGUE:WAYNE ROONEY could make his Manchester United return in Saturday's league fixture with Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford.
The striker returned to the club’s Carrington training base yesterday to be assessed by the United medical staff after his week-long conditioning work in the US.
The 25-year-old’s ankle injury had healed before his trip but his personal programme in Portland,Oregon, was designed to catch up on the pre-season conditioning he missed after the World Cup.
“Wayne’s had a good week, he’s trained very hard, two days two sessions, three days three sessions, we’ve achieved what we wanted to achieve,” Alex Ferguson said yesterday.
Rooney’s last start for United was against Bolton at the end of September and his only appearance since then was as a substitute four weeks ago. He has missed 13 of United’s 20 games this season.
Manchester United’s owners agreed to pay off a payment-in-kind loan worth about €260 million, according to a corporate filing by the club yesterday.
Red Football Joint Venture Ltd. will “prepay 100 per cent from the outstanding loan on November 22nd,” the team’s parent company said in the notice.
The document, called a voluntary free-payment notice, was signed Joel Glazer, co-chairman of Red Football, and was sent to the holders of the loan. Phillip Townsend, a spokesman for Manchester United, declined to comment.
Chelsea captain John Terry insists the squad must move on from the sudden departure of assistant coach Ray Wilkins.
“Ray has left the club and everyone is sad to see him go,” said Terry. “It was an unexpected decision but we have to move on and stay calm.
“Ray’s been brilliant since he came in, from day one, not only as a coach but as a man as well.
“Ray was a great person to have around the football club, he would pick you up when you were down and, if there was a problem for any players or staff, he would be the first one to call them to make sure everything was okay and to ask if there was any way he could help.
Wilkins was told last week by chief executive Ron Gourlay that his contract would not be renewed.
