Championship

ARSENAL legend Ray Parlour has defended Derby County boss Wayne Rooney after he reportedly injured midfielder Jason Knight.The former England and Manchester United ace is said to have injured the 20-year-old after taking part in a training session to make up numbers, with the Rams having just nine registered players.
Waybe Rooney’s Derby squad is paper thin with just nine players registeredCredit: GETTY IMAGES
R|ay Parlour has defended Rooney for the reported incidentCredit: GETTY IMAGES
According to the Telegraph, the incident happened at Pennyhill Park – a luxury hotel and spa – where Derby were staying for a pre-season training camp.
And the crocked midfielder could miss up to two months of the new season as a result.
Rooney confirmed the injury himself, saying: “Jason will be out for eight to 12 weeks.
“He has rocked his ankle. Thankfully he doesn’t need surgery, but needs the time to make sure he gets his ankle strong again.
“Of course [it is a huge blow], everyone knows what Knighty brings to us, he is a fantastic player, great energy, and he will be a loss, but we have to deal with that.”
Parlour has come to Rooney’s defence, highlighting that training injuries aren’t rare in the world of professional football.
And the former Arsenal midfielder believes as a manager, you want training to be competitive and intense despite not playing against opposition.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “You want competitive football when you train.
He [Knight] has rocked his ankle. Thankfully he doesn’t need surgery, but needs the time to make sure he gets his ankle strong again.Wayne Rooney
“I know it’s not like you’re playing against opposition, you’re training together, but it’s still competitive.
“You’re going to get injuries, you’re going to get people getting bangs on their ankles and things like that.
“You hope it doesn’t happen, but you are a little bit slower, Wayne Rooney is not as quick as he used to be and he was probably genuinely going for a ball, was a bit late and he’s injured the player.”
Parlour also believes that nobody will be more disappointed than Rooney, who’s squad is already paper thin.
He added: “I know he’s the manager and he’ll probably be saying he’s so sorry about that.
“And he’s probably thinking to himself, ‘I’ve lost another player’, so he’s not too happy about it as well.
“It’s hard when you go into a training session, because you want it to be like a game, especially if it’s a practice game, you don’t want to just go through the motions and not treat it like a game situation.
“So you’re always going to get a few injuries here and there – hamstring pulls, calf strains, it’s part and parcel of the game I’m afraid.”

It’s hard when you go into a training session, because you want it to be like a game, especially if it’s a practice game, you don’t want to just go through the motions and not treat it like a game situationRay Parlour
Getting his Derby squad ready for the start of the Championship season on August 7 against Huddersfield isn’t the only problem Rooney has on his plate.
The 35-year-old fears he was the victim of a “set up” after photos of him asleep in a hotel surrounded by girls went viral.
But Rooney is understood to be absolutely clear he did nothing wrong.
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Derby issued a statement on the matter, saying: “Wayne Rooney informed the club that the pictures had emerged and that they had been taken without his knowledge or approval. 
“After taking counsel the matter was reported to Greater Manchester Police who are currently investigating the incident. 
“While that remains the case, there will be no further comment.”
Simon Jordan says Derby’s off-field problems will let Wayne Rooney get away with poor results next season More

WAYNE ROONEY has reportedly injured Derby midfielder Jason Knight in training – having been filmed in a hotel room with semi-naked girls.The Telegraph claims Knight, 20 is out for at least two months with an ankle injury.
Jason Knight is out for two months after being injured by boss Wayne Rooney in trainingCredit: Getty
The incident comes after Rooney was filmed in a hotel room with semi-naked womenCredit: Rex
And he will miss the start of the Championship season, leaving Derby light of yet another player.
It’s claimed Rooney and Knight went in for a 50/50 challenge.
However, it was the Irish midfielder who came out second best.
Derby have just NINE senior players – two of which are goalkeepers.
And Knight’s absence means the Rams are left in an even more dire situation.
The incident comes after SunSport exclusively revealed Rooney called the police after photos emerged of him in a hotel room with three scantily clad women.
The former Manchester United ace, 35, partied into the early hours with Snapchat model Tayler Ryan and her pals Elise Melvin and Brooke Morgan, all 21.
He was seen passed out in a chair as the girls cavorted in their undies at their £60-a-night room in Manchester.
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One flashed her bottom next to the retired England striker — then posted it online, captioning it “Mooney Rooney”.
Another photo which went viral on Sunday saw him leaning in on one blonde reveller at a nightclub.
Rooney was angry they had taken snaps of him asleep without his permission and feared he had been the victim of a “set-up”.
🔵 Read our Wayne Rooney live blog for the very latest updates
Wayne Rooney called the police after photos emerged of him in a hotel room with three scantily clad women
Pictures of him with the women have gone viral
Snapchat model Tayler Ryan partied with the Man United ace into the early hours
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Wayne Rooney calls cops after pictures of him asleep in a hotel room with semi-naked girls go viral More

WEST BROMWICH ALBION have paid tribute to their former defender Williams Martinez after he tragically died aged just 38.The star spent the 2006-07 campaign on-loan at the Hawthorns but started just once in the Premier League.
Former West Brom star Williams Martinez has died aged 38Credit: WBA FC

He played for 15 different clubs throughout a career that spanned 20 years.
Martinez was playing for Uruguayan Segunda Division team Villa Teresa at the time of his passing on Saturday.
Matches in Uruguay were suspended after the news of Martinez’s passing was announced.
And the Uruguayan FA posted a message of support on their social media account.
Villa Teresa tweeted: “Club Atlético Villa Teresa deeply regrets the passing of our main squad player Williams Martinez, his family, friends and relatives our deepest condolences.”
West Brom wrote: “We’re deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former player, Williams Martínez. Our thoughts are with his friends and family. Rest in peace.”
Ex-Premier League and Baggies star Jonathan Greening responded to West Brom’s tweet in a state of shock, writing: “No f****** way.”
Martinez won one cap for his country back in 2003.
And his compatriot Luis Suarez joined in the tributes on social media.
Atletico Madrid’s former LIverpool and Barcelona forward wrote: “What sad news the loss of Williams Martínez. Much strength for your friends and family. RIP Williams.”
Martinez began his career with Defensor Sporting, who he later captained, before joining West Brom and then French side Valenciennes.
Following a loan spell with Reims, he returned to Defensor, before heading off to play in Argentina with Chacarita Juniors and in Chile with Huachipato and Palestino.

He then moved to Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno before returning to Uruguay with River Plate Monitevideo.
Since 2015, he has played with Cerro, Deportivo Tachira and Ceuta, as well as further spells at River Plate and Rampla.
He joined Villa Teresa less than a year ago but has recently been out of action due to injury.
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DERBY COUNTY have included two new but familiar faces in their side to face Manchester United today.Wayne Rooney’s Championship side host the club he achieved legendary status with in a glamour pre-season friendly.
Ravel Morrison was handed a start for Derby against Man UtdCredit: Derby County FC
Phil Jagielka is also on trial and was named in the starting XI for the RamsCredit: Getty
And he handed an opportunity to two well-known trialists for the clash.
Ravel Morrison trained with Derby this week in his latest bid to reignite his career.
Rams boss Rooney is giving the former United playmaker a lifeline by letting him train with them.
Morrison, 28, played at Olr Trafford when Rooney was in his prime but is currently without a club.
The talented star is staying fit with the Rams and hoping to catch the eye as he plots his next move after years of moving clubs.
He has the perfect chance to dazzle and help earn himself a contract at Derby after being named in their side to face the club whose academy he graduated from.
Morrison is joined in the starting XI by former England international Phil Jagielka.
Jagielka is a free agent after leaving Sheffield United and Rooney thinks he could handle the Championship as he puts a squad together.
Bolton also wanted to take a look at Jagielka who had a run of games in the Premier League last season despite his advancing years but it is the Rams who swooped first.
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The 38-year-old defender will be looking to shut-out Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men to help secure himself a deal at the Rams.
And he will be desperate for a similar result to the last time he faced the Red Devils.
He was part of the Blades side that won 2-1 at United in January.
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford

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SHEFFIELD UNITED’s plans for the new season are in chaos after the first-team squad was forced to self-isolate.A forward and reserve keeper tested positive for Covid-19 on a pre-season camp in Spain.
Sheffield United boss Slavisa Jokanovic has been handed a Covid headache in the middle of United’s pre-season preparationsCredit: AFP
The duo were left behind while the rest of the squad was cleared to return to the UK.
Players will self-isolate for ten days to check if they are also positive.
The exiled pair face an anxious wait before they are allowed to travel.
And the normal fitness programme has been replaced by home exercise.
United have friendlies against Doncaster and Norwich before the August 7 kick-off.
The news comes just days before Monday’s ‘Freedom Day’, which will see pandemic restrictions lifted.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson’s plan to lift virtually all of England’s pandemic restrictions has been slammed as a risk to the world by 1200 scientists.
Michael Baker – a professor of public health at the University of Otago and a member of the New Zealand ministry of health’s Covid-19 technical advisory group – is disappointed with the UK’s lack of leadership in the public health crisis.
He said: “In New Zealand we have always looked to the UK for leadership when it comes to scientific expertise, which is why it’s so remarkable that it is not following even basic public health principles.”
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The Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, has also returned a positive test for Covid-19 on Saturday and will spend the next ten days in isolation.
Several top ministers could now be forced to isolate as a result.
The double-vaxxed Javid broke the news on Twitter, stating that his symptoms are “Mild”.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid reveals he has Covid and ‘mild symptoms’ after testing positive More