WAYNE ROONEY was forced to pull out of his Match of the Day debut after picking up a ‘painful back injury on holiday.
The Man Utd legend, 38, was set to appear on the iconic BBC show as a pundit on Saturday night.
However, he was forced to cancel after the misfortune.
He revealed the ailment in an apologetic message on X.
Rooney wrote: “Gutted not to be making my debut on the iconic @BBCMOTD show tonight, it’s something I have wanted to do since I was little.
“Unfortunately I have sustained a painful back injury during a holiday with my family but I look forward to being part of the team in the near future. Good luck to @GaryLineker and the guys for tonights show and see you soon.”
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Regular host Lineker was instead joined by Martin Keown and Micah Richards in the studio.
Meanwhile, Rooney has questioned Marcus Rashford’s future at Old Trafford.
Rashford, 26, has endured a difficult season with the Red Devils
Rooney believes Rashford may need to leave the Red Devils in order to return to his best.
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The ex-United striker told Premier League productions: “He has had a very difficult season. We all know he has got the ability and got all the attributes to be a top world-class player.
“That’s the frustrating thing. Last season, he went and scored a lot of goals. But this season, he hasn’t kicked on.
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“He doesn’t look happy when he is playing.
“You wonder, is his best option to move away from the club and have a fresh start? But he is a Manchester lad.
“I would love to see him get his career back on track at the club, go on to score goals and try to help the club win trophies. But he certainly has had a difficult season.”
However, Rashford currently looks nailed on to stay at Old Trafford after a PSG insider told SunSport that the French club have no interest in luring the England star.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk