source: itv-football.co.uk

With Rooney looking doubtful (metatarsals always take longer than six weeks) Sven could be forced into a tactical rethink. Is it really worth playing 4-4-2 and pairing a half-fit Michael Owen with either Jermaine Defoe (too similar) Peter Crouch (Plan B, not A) or Darren Bent (1 cap)?

One suggestion from Kevin McCarra is that Sven could revert to 4-1-4-1. Remember when Sven tried this formation against Wales and Northern Ireland? I don't want to, but I do. Let's not dismiss it altogether though.

The reason the formation failed was that it was built around and relied too heavily on Beckham. In his 'quarterbecks' role in front of the back four he commanded possession and launched the ball forward for SWP et al to run onto, bypassing two rather useful midfielders named Gerrard and Lampard. If England try this again Beckham should revert to right midfield and a genuine holding player should be sitting in front of the back four. Like McCarra I'd argue for Michael Carrick. Carrick's not a real reducer in the Claude Makelele sense, but just his being there, holding his position would allow Gerrard and Lampard to do what they do best and get forward, using Carrick's intelligent (but not showy) distribution as a base.

I'd even argue that Beckham could do the job. If he didn't keep pumping long balls (that any World Cup defence would just swallow up) and showed some positional discipline we could use a more attacking winger like SWP or even Aaron Lennon on that right flank.

I'm aware that this is a desperate attempt to find some silver lining in the massive stormcloud that is Rooney's broken metatarsal, but maybe one day we'll look back on Rooney's injury and remember it as a turning point on the way to World Cup glory. No, I'm not convinced either.