England striker Wayne Rooney will be deployed on the left wing for the World Cup warm-up match against Ecuador tomorrow night, according to reports.
Rooney's place in the starting lineup has come under scrutiny following his uninspiring performance in the 3-0 win over Peru on Friday, with some suggestions that Raheem Sterling or Ross Barkley could replace him behind the main striker.
However, the left wing has been a problematic area for England for some time, and manager Roy Hodgson is understood to be considering playing Rooney out wide.
Hodgson confirmed that the 28-year-old would start tomorrow's match, and during today's training sessions he spent much of his time in a wide berth.
"He can do that [role], absolutely. I think Wayne's a very useful player in the sense you don't have to pin him down and say this is the only position he can play," Hodgson told reporters.
"He can play centre-forward, behind the centre-forward and wide. If he's done all of those things at the very top level for Manchester United, there is no reason why I can't use him in those positions as well."
Rooney would likely replace club teammate Danny Welbeck on the left after he started out wide against Peru.
Hodgson also confirmed that versatile midfielder James Milner will start the game at right-back.
Barney Corkhill
