The Curse of the Metatarsal

Even Chelsea’s title celebrations at Stamford Bridge were halted by the moment when England’s premier World Cup hope was struck down by the curse of the metatarsal.

Wayne Rooney knew immediately that the consequences of Paulo Ferreira’s tackle were serious and as he lay there, his face contorted with pain, the crowd knew it too and the whole stadium fell silent.

His manager Sir Alex Ferguson feels that the subsequent optimism about Rooney’s prospects of a recovery which might allow him to play some part in the World Cup this summer may be the product of hope and urges caution.

But whatever the outcome for Rooney, the injury which has also affected Michael Owen, David Beckham and Ledley King, amongst others, now demands further and thorough investigation. Is it the boots? The pitches? Modern training? The formidable workload top players have to endure these days? A combination of some or all of these? Or something else entirely?

Answers are needed. And the quicker the better.