Sir Alex Ferguson backs Wayne Rooney to play in friendly

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that he would not oppose Wayne Rooney's involvement for England against Sweden next month if the striker were keen to play.

England travel to Scandinavia to open Sweden's new national stadium, and despite the fixture falling between key matches for Manchester United, Ferguson is happy for Rooney to be selected for the match. Ferguson said: "Wayne needs to play all the time. Sometimes we might put him on the bench but in the main he likes to play.

"If he has shown that keenness I don't see why he shouldn't."

Rooney scored in England's 1-1 draw with Poland on Wednesday night.