Knee injury rules out skipper Roo

Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

Rooney: Injured

GARETH Southgate will tonight take charge of his final match as interim England manager, 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 to 1-16 with one bookmaker for the permanent post.

CAUSE

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 at Tottenham's base yesterday, would have been reduced largely to a watching brief anyway given the interim manager's focus on England'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 distribute that more evenly.

"There are leaders already and other potential leaders who I think can step forward.

"And once you have a team full of those players then we'll have a lot of success."

INHERIT

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson will inherit the armband, as he did in Slovenia, for the year-ending glamour tie.

Southgate says Burnley defender Michael Keane and West Ham's Aaron Cresswell will not start against Spain, but Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand is in contention having sat out of training with Rooney.

Uncapped Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and in-form Tom Heaton, who has made one late substitute appearance for his country, will be on the bench, with Southgate confirming that Joe Hart will start. He remains England's number one despite a poor Euro 2016.