However, a recent ankle injury proved telling as United crashed out of the UEFA Champions League to Bayern Munich, while seeing their Premier League title hopes dealt a huge blow with defeat by Chelsea followed by a lacklustre draw with Blackburn Rovers. Rooney has always been capable of scoring goals of the highest quality, but Cole believes the fact that the England international is now finishing more rudimentary chances is what has made him one of the most prolific forwards in the world.

Cole told Press Association Sport: “The good thing with Wayne this season is that he has got lots of tap-ins or goals from eight or ten yards, and those make big things in a season.

“His work-rate has always been the same and he has always been a team player, but to get into those areas and get more goals it has been absolutely superb. He has really stepped up to the plate and with (Cristiano) Ronaldo leaving he has come out and blossomed. He is now showing his full potential.”

Cole, however, feels it is vital that England do not rely too much on Rooney if they are to harbour hopes of success at the 2010 World Cup South Africa. The former Everton player is quite rightly expected to be a integral player in Fabio Capello’s team, but the man who scored once in 15 appearances for the Three Lions between 1995 and 2002 feels the strongest international sides have been the ones that are able to work well together.

“In England, I feel we sometimes believe that one player can win us the World Cup,” said Cole. “All teams have special players and England’s is Wayne Rooney. However, the World Cup is not won by one player. For us to win it every player on a given day is going to have to play to their maximum.”

Cole’s managerial goals
Cole was speaking in Hong Kong, where he will lead a team in the Soccer Sevens tournament in the city next month. The 38-year-old recently had a spell coaching at Huddersfield Town, and he admitted he is keen to step into management in the future.

“I don’t want to close any doors on anything,” he said. “I love football. Given the opportunity I would like to coach at a football club again and learn what you need to learn. but my ultimate goal is to try and manage a team given the opportunity.”

Centre-half Carvalho suffered ankle ligament damage during Chelsea’s 5-0 win away to basement club Portsmouth, a victory that left them just a point behind leaders Manchester United. If the injury is worse than first feared, Carvalho could miss the rest of this season.

“The club will be able to determine over the next 24 hours whether the injury requires corrective surgery, however we can confirm at this point that he’ll be out for at least four weeks.”

- A Chelsea club statement on Carvalho

“Chelsea can confirm that Ricardo Carvalho suffered ankle ligament damage in last night’s game against Portsmouth,” a club spokesman said Thursday. “The club will be able to determine over the next 24 hours whether the injury requires corrective surgery, however we can confirm at this point that he’ll be out for at least four weeks.”

Carvalho’s injury has left Chelsea with just two first-choice central defenders in Brazilian Alex and captain John Terry. The Portuguese international’s setback comes just days after right-back Branislav Ivanovic was ruled out for a month following a knee injury sustained during the 1-1 draw at Blackburn last weekend.

The Blues have been without left-back Ashley Cole (ankle), midfielder Michael Essien (knee) and right-back Jose Bosingwa (ankle) for much of the current season.

The 22-year-old was injured tackling Germany team-mate Miroslav Klose in the first-half and is expected to miss the whole of April, but he should not need an operation. Bayern’s defeat in Munich saw them lose top place in the Bundesliga to Schalke 04 who beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 also on Saturday with two goals from ex-Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi.

Stuttgart’s medical staff say Khedira should be back for their last two Bundesliga matches before the season ends on May 9, with Germany coach Joachim Loew set to announce his World Cup squad the week before.

Khedira has won two caps for Germany and came on as a second-half substitute in this month’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in a friendly.

He is the second German player to announce he is in danger of missing the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 11. Hamburg’s Marcell Jansen revealed he has an ankle injury which could also keep him out of the tournament.

Germany, who finished third as hosts of the 2006 World Cup, have drawn Africa Cup of Nations finalists Ghana, Australia and Serbia in Group D. They begin their campaign against Australia on 13 June in Durban.

Proven Cheltenham form has been crucial, with eight of the last 10 winners having won or been placed at a previous Festival.

The eagerly anticipated third Gold Cup clash between Paul Nicholls’ two brilliant chasers Kauto Star and Denman is the spine-tingling highlight of the Festival.

Both Nicholls runners are aged 10 and there has only one winner of that age in the past 16 runnings.

Having won this in 2007, Kauto Star had an interrupted preparation in 2008 and had to give best to the Hennessy Gold Cup winner Denman 12 months later.

Denman was a shadow of his former self for the majority of last season after a heart problem, but his fine second in the race proved he was on the way back as Kauto Star regained the Gold Cup.

Victory in this season’s Hennessy put Denman back in contention but ‘the Tank’ subsequently made sloppy jumping errors in the Aon Chase at Newbury and his confidence must come into question.

After a fourth King George VI Chase victory (by 36 lengths!), Kauto Star has now won 13 Grade 1 races and is odds-on to win a third Gold Cup.

Of the pretenders, Imperial Commander ran Kauto Star to a nose at Haydock at the start of the season but this extended 3m2f trip is a question-mark, so Cooldine, last year’s leading novice chaser, is the best hope to test the dynamic duo.

Verdict: Kauto Star is not on the wane

Another feature race on Thursday is The Ryanair Chase with Poquelin, Tranquil Sea and Barbers Shop currently heading the betting.

THE feature race on the third day of the Festival is often a graveyard for favourites, with only three outright favourites winning in the last 14 years.

Yet the trend towards classier horses winning the race has been reflected in the starting prices: No winner has returned bigger than 8-1 in the past nine years.

This all revolves around last year’s winner Big Buck’s. The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old will be the banker of the meeting for many. Unbeaten in his six hurdle races in this country, he has already taken the scalp of main market rival Karabak, dismissing him with ease in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Newbury in December. That victory also saw off the up-and-coming Diamond Harry, with connections consequently admitting defeat and turning their attentions to chasing.

Having his first start over hurdles since April 2007, the 2008 Arkle winner Tidal Bay found plenty to win the three-mile Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January. He was a high-class novice hurdler in his day, but few nine-year-olds have been successful in this race.

Sentry Duty, yet to prove himself over this three-mile trip, had plenty in reserve when beating Katchit over 2m4f on New Year’s Day and could also be in the shake-up.

Verdict: Big Buck’s is truly World class

If these trends continue, Master Minded, Kalahari King and Twist Magic should be the ones to concentrate on.

Master Minded bids to become the first horse since Badsworth Boy to win the race three times. Having recovered from a cracked rib, he returned after a three-month lay-off to record a hugely impressive performance in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury and is odds-on to complete the hat-trick.

Nine of the last 11 Arkle winners finished first or second in this race the following year but 2009 Arkle winnerForpadydeplasterer is an injury doubt. Kalahari King was only just beaten in the Arkle and made a belated seasonal debut with an emphatic victory under top weight in a Doncaster handicap on February 6. If fully fit, he is expected to be a bigger danger to Master Minded than the champ’s stablemate Twist Magic, who prefers flat, right-handed tracks – his course form reads Fell-6th-Fell – or Big Zeb, who has flopped on his two starts in this country.

VERDICT: Kalahari King to be crowned

Trained in Ireland by Charles Byrnes, the six-year-old has never finished outside of the first three in eight runs over hurdles.

If there is a chink in his armour, it is the preference for softer ground. His last defeat came in the slowly-run Fighting Fifth Hurdle on good ground at Newcastle, which developed into a three-furlong sprint.

Go Native, his conqueror that day, followed up in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, beating second-season novice Starluck. Though both quickened up well, the time was slow. How they handle a more truly-run affair remains to be seen, but both would welcome good ground or faster.

Campaigned over further than two miles this season, last year’s Triumph Hurdle hero Zaynar saw his unbeaten hurdling streak ended at five when he got bogged down in the mud at Kelso behind Quwetwo. He acts on the track and – very deep ground aside – he appears to handle any conditions. He holds a major chance.

Reigning champion Punjabi and last year’s runner-up Celestial Halo cannot be ruled out if the ground is similarly good to soft and the latter, in particular, could run a big race at a tasty price.

VERDICT: We’re sold on Solwhit

“David is on his way to Finland to see a specialist and have a scan on the injury,” a statement on his official website read. “He is understandably upset but wants to thank everyone for their messages of support. He hopes to make a swift and full recovery.”

“He is understandably upset but wants to thank everyone for their messages of support.
He hopes to make a swift and full recovery.”

- A statement on David Beckham’s official website about the player’s Achilles tendon injury

Beckham, who will be 35 in May, will be examined by Finnish surgeon Dr Sakari Orava at his Turku clinic this afternoon, and is expected to go under the knife later today. Some have suggested the injury, suffered in yesterday’s 1-0 win over Chievo, could jeopardise the free-kick specialist’s career, but Orava believes he can make a complete recovery.

“Usually yes,” Orava told Sky Sports News. “Top athletes usually heal well but it’s a few months until you are back at the same level as you were before.

“I don’t think it is a big difference to be (aged) 25 or 35, it will be three, four, five months. Most of these patients come back at the same level, even in a top soccer player.”

Earlier, in a statement released to Press Association Sport, England coach Fabio Capello said: “We have to wait for the results of the scan, but it looks like he is out of the World Cup.

“David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the
World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow. I am very sad.”

- Fabio Capello on David Beckham

“I spoke with him after the game on Sunday night to offer my support, as did Franco Baldini. David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow.”

It is expected to be three months at the very earliest before Beckham can run, and double that before he has a chance of playing again. More likely he will be out for the remainder of 2010. Capello added: “I am very sad for David that he has suffered this injury.”

Beckham’s spokesman told The Sun: “He’s devastated by the injury. He’s fearful of what it could mean for his World Cup hopes. We will see the full extent of the injury. Victoria is flying out to him immediately because of the injury. She’s naturally worried about him.”

Beckham was only in Italy to give himself the best possible chance of becoming the first England player to feature in four World Cups. The injury occurred with no opposition player near him in yesterday’s win at the San Siro.

Can Kauto Star re-write the history books and become a three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner?

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