Richard Sutcliffe: There's no need to panic - Rooney will b e fine

Or so – and with due apologies to The Smiths – it has seemed since Wayne Rooney limped off the field towards the end of Tuesday's first leg defeat for Manchester United against Bayern Munich.

Judging by the hysterical reaction that has followed the 24-year-old hobbling off moments after Ivica Olic's winner, it would be easy to surmise he had suffered an injury so serious that his World Cup dream is over.

But, no, the injury – as was evident on the night – is likely to be nothing more serious than a sprained ankle.

Recovery time is likely to be nearer to two weeks than two months, but that has not stopped the alarm bells ringing across the country about the potential impact on the Three Lions' hopes of success.

The airwaves yesterday were an example in how knee-jerk reaction has now become the norm rather than exception as panicking supporters furiously debated whether England are jinxed or if Fabio Capello has a Plan B for South Africa this summer.

Such an over-the-top response has, if nothing else, laid bare England's over-reliance on a player who, after netting 34 goals for his club this season, represents our best hope of glory.

What those who are panicking have overlooked, however, is how this latest injury may yet do a huge favour for Capello and his chances of emulating Sir Alf Ramsey by lifting the World Cup. Namely, by reducing Rooney's chances of suffering burn-out before the tournament gets underway on June 12.

For a start, the injury is unlikely to be serious. The worst case scenario coming out of Old Trafford yesterday suggested Rooney will be back after four weeks, but probably sooner. Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to confirm as much tomorrow at his regular press briefing.

It means this is not – as some of the more jittery England fans seem to fear – a repeat of 2006 when a broken metatarsal sustained on April 29 at Stamford Bridge led to Rooney being little more than a passenger during the World Cup.

Unable to influence games as he would expect when fully fit, Rooney's frustration eventually boiled over with a petulant stamp on Ricardo Carvalho in the quarter-finals.

This time, Rooney will be back in action – at the very latest – almost a full month before England play Mexico on May 24 in their final warm-up friendly on home soil, which is more than enough time to regain match fitness and sharpness.

In fact, the biggest losers in all this are not England as some feared yesterday but Rooney's employers, Manchester United. They now face having to negotiate the potentially decisive few weeks of the season without their talisman.

Not only are Chelsea and Bayern Munich due at Old Trafford in the coming seven days for games that could go a long way towards deciding United's fate in two competitions, but Sir Alex Ferguson's men are then due to travel to Ewood Park to tackle a Blackburn Rovers side that last lost in the league at home before Christmas.

And as if that was not enough to depress even the most self-assured of Reds, should Rooney not be fit by April 17 then he will also miss the Manchester derby at Eastlands.

Even allowing for a Rooney-less United winning 4-0 at Bolton Wanderers in their last Premier League outing, this is exactly the type of nightmare scenario to leave lifelong Reds such as Morrissey bemoaning 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' as the title race swings in favour of Chelsea.