Manchester United's Wayne Rooney receives medical attention after being injured in a Champions League quarterfinal first leg match against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. (Peter Kneffel / EPA / March 30, 2010)
In the long run, the most telling image to come out of the Allianz Arena in Munich on Tuesday might not have been Ivica Olic's delighted celebration of his game-winning goal for Bayern Munich but of Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney dejectedly being helped off the field.
The England striker, who had given United the lead only 64 seconds into the European Champions League first-leg quarterfinal, turned his right ankle in the second minute of stoppage time just before Olic scored to give Bayern a 2-1 victory.
The severity of the injury was not immediately known, but the sight of Rooney hopping one-footed off the field supported by two trainers would certainly have caused England Coach Fabio Capello to wince. England's World Cup hopes ride on Rooney.
"It's too early to say," Manchester United Coach Alex Ferguson said of Rooney's injury. "I don't think it's terribly serious, but we'll wait and see."
Rooney has been one of the most prolific strikers in the world this season, matching Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi almost goal for goal. United's hopes of winning both the English Premier League and Champions League titles also depend on Rooney.
His goal in the second minute of Tuesday's game was his 34th of the season in all competitions and his 19th goal in his last 15 games. If he is sidelined, even briefly, the timing could not have been worse.
Manchester United leads the Premier League by a single point over Chelsea, 72-71, with six games remaining. It has a potentially decisive home game against Chelsea on Saturday, followed by the second leg Champions League game against Bayern Munich in Manchester four days later.
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