Wes Brown injury unlikely to keep him out of World Cup
• Defender suffered suspected metatarsal fracture at Wolves
• Injury adds to Sir Alex Ferguson's selection problems
Wes Brown is likely to be out of action for Manchester United for six weeks. Photograph: Mike Egerton/Empics Sport
Wes Brown is expected to be available for England's World Cup campaign this summer despite increasing Fabio Capello's defensive problems with a suspected metatarsal fracture sustained against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Manchester United are due to confirm the scan results on Brown's injury today, although it is believed the 30-year-old, who left Molineux wearing a protective boot on his foot following a challenge with Matt Jarvis on Saturday, will be sidelined for six weeks with the problem. Brown's absence is another setback for Sir Alex Ferguson, who has lost Michael Owen, Anderson, Ryan Giggs and John O'Shea to long-term injuries in recent weeks, but the timeframe would at least allow the defender to return to action before Capello finalises his World Cup squad.
Brown started at right-back for England against Egypt last week in the absence of Liverpool's Glen Johnson, who has only just recovered from the knee ligament injury he suffered at Aston Villa on 29 December. With his left-back options thrown into turmoil by Ashley Cole's broken ankle plus Wayne Bridge's retirement from international football, and Rio Ferdinand restricted by injury this term, Capello can ill-afford further disruption to England's defence before South Africa. Should Brown recover in six weeks, for the Manchester derby at Eastlands on 17 April, he would have just four league games to prove his fitness before the World Cup.
United's selection problems for the Champions League return with Milan tomorrow also include Wayne Rooney, who missed the 1-0 win at Wolves with a knee problem aggravated against Egypt at Wembley. The leading scorer is still rated as doubtful for the Italians' visit to Old Trafford.
The Football Association chairman, Lord Triesman, meanwhile, believes the Red Knights' proposed takeover of United reflects a growing concern among supporters at how their clubs are run and believes a fan-run body could succeed in England. "There are some good fan-run clubs and there have been in England, too – there have been some clubs in difficulties where the fans have been the decisive factor such as York City and Bournemouth," said Triesman.
The FA chairman refused to condemn the Glazers' controversial ownership of United but admits supporters are right to respond to concerns over mounting debt. "Being a fan is a mixture of all sorts of things. It's not a customer going into a shop. You want success on the pitch, there are deep cultural things involved, and most of the time you support the club your dad supported," said Triesman. "There's inevitably a sense of community, even if a club is a great international brand as well. It's a huge mixture of things that fuel the emotion of football. My expectation always is that fans will be interested in the lot."
He added: "I am really not saying Manchester United cannot deal with its overall financial arrangements but of course fans do take a view about whether their club is all right. If they have been very successful they want them to continue to be very successful so they are interested in where the funds are. As it happens I think United are a huge business capable of generating very, very big resources. It would be disappointing in any club if fans were not interested in the whole thing."
Guardian