Rooney out for six weeks: United

Wayne Rooney (R) of Manchester United is helped by Claude Makelele (L) of Chelsea after sustaining an injury during the Premiership match at Stamford Bridge in London. Chelsea won the game 3-0 to claim the title. Rooney's World Cup dream suffered a potentially shattering blow when Manchester United confirmed the striker will be out of action for six weeks after breaking his foot in the Premiership clash with Chelsea.

Wayne Rooney's World Cup dream suffered a potentially shattering blow when Manchester United confirmed the striker will be out of action for six weeks after breaking his foot in the Premiership clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

A short statement released by the Old Trafford outfit revealed Rooney has broken the 'fourth metatarsal on his right foot'.

"Wayne Rooney has fractured the base of the fourth metatarsal on the right foot and he will be out for six weeks," said United.

When Rooney fractured the fifth metatarsal on the same foot in the Euro 2004 quarter-final defeat to Portugal, it was 10 weeks before he played again.

Rooney, who was stretchered off in the 3-0 defeat by the champions on Saturday, travelled back to Manchester with his team-mates before heading straight to a private hospital where the precise extent of his injury was diagnosed.

He suffered the injury in a challenge for possession with Paulo Ferreira.

And, despite the reassurances of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who claimed after the game he had been told by United staff Rooney was 'okay', the initial fears as Rooney was taken down the tunnel have now been confirmed.

And, with England's opening World Cup game against Paraguay on June 10 exactly six weeks away, national coach Sven-Goran Eriksson faces a major dilemma over the player's selection.

However, Rooney is such a key figure in an England side widely tipped to challenge for the trophy, Eriksson may deem it a risk worth taking him even though the former Everton star will definitely miss the final two matches of Manchester United's domestic programme and England's pre-tournament friendlies against Hungary and Jamaica.