Rooney misses Spain friendly

GARETH Southgate will tonight take charge of his final match as i nterim England manag er but captain Wayne Rooney will be watching from home due to a knee injury.

This evening’s glamour friendly against Spain brings the curtain down on a year that started with a thrilling comeback win in Germany, witnessed a humiliating Euro 2016 exit to Iceland and ends with a third different manager at the helm.

Southgate, parachuted in after the abrupt end to the reign of Roy Hodgson’s successor Sam Allardyce, is strong favourite to stay in permanent charge and can enhance his position with a positive display against the 2010 world champions.

The 46-year-old oversaw a comprehensive 3-0 victory against oldest foes Scotland in Friday’s World Cup qualifier and is as short as 1-16 with one bookmaker for the permanent post.

Rooney will not be able to aid the interim manager’s cause having returned to Manchester United with what the Football Association says is a “minor knee injury”.

The 31-year-old, who missed training yesterday, would have been reduced largely to a watching brief anyway given the interim m a n a g e r ’s focus on E n g l a n d ’s long-term interests rather than his own managerial prospects.

“I wouldn’t start Wayne in this game anyway, so we’ll decide which route to go,” Southgate said.

“At times too much of that responsibility has laid with Wayne and we need to share that.”

England captain Wayne Rooney.