Capello could leave Rooney at home if ban not reduced
Published 22:30 04/12/11 By Martin Lipton
Fabio Capello is considering leaving Wayne Rooney out of his Euro 2012 squad – if the striker’s three-game ban is not reduced this week.
Capello will accompany Rooney to Nyon on Thursday, when the FA will urge UEFA’s disciplinary committee to cut the Manchester United man’s suspension for his red card against Montenegro.
Unless UEFA show leniency, Rooney will miss the three Group D games against France, Sweden and Ukraine before being available for the tournament’s knockout phase.
But while Capello has previously hinted it was his intention to select Rooney despite the suspension, he now has second thoughts.
“I need to wait,” Capello said. “I need to see how the appeal goes. The sentence, three games, was too much and I hope the appeal will help us reduce it. I hope he [Rooney] will be available for game three.”
Capello’s change of stance comes with UEFA under pressure to show compassion as they did at Euro 2008, when Russia’s Andrey Arshavin was banned for just two games.
