Rooney dilemma as England braces for Uruguay clash

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England manager Roy Hodgson (right) talks with Wayne Rooney during a training session in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

Start him. Drop him. Move him. The whole of England seems to have an opinion on what Roy Hodgson should do with Wayne Rooney for their Group D clash against Uruguay tomorrow.

It was the under-fire forward's inviting cross swatted home by Daniel Sturridge that got England level against Italy in their opener on Saturday but, posted on the left, Rooney looked short of fitness and struggled with defensive duties at times.

Despite the clamor in some quarters for Rooney to be dropped to the bench, Hodgson is likely to switch him to a central role behind Sturridge, pushing the jet-heeled Raheem Sterling out wide to romp up and down Uruguay's right.

The pace of Sterling, Sturridge and Danny Welbeck could cause real problems for the South Americans' defense, which crumbled in the face of Costa Rica's direct running in a shock 1-3 defeat in their first game.

While England's 1-2 defeat on Saturday was its first in a World Cup opener since 1986, it goes into its second game at the Corinthians Arena in a confident frame of mind after a fearless display full of pace and promise against Italy.

Striker Sturridge acknowledged the level of performance promised much for the future but said England could not be satisfied with being an unlucky loser. "At the end of the day it's about results, not performances, and we realize that as a team as well," he said on Monday.

"I don't think we need to change much, we just need a bit of luck, a break, but we will take the positives out of that and the end thing is that we want results," he told reporters.

Hodgson savored what he called England's "best performance" since he took over two years ago, suggesting he feels little reason to ring the changes for Copa America champion Uruguay.

Like England, Uruguay must recover from an opening loss but there were few positives from a dire performance against Costa Rica in which right back Maxi Perreira was sent off in stoppage time.

Coach Oscar Tabarez told reporters after training on Monday that his team had to be wary of England's front men, who showed "great technical potential" against Italy.

Key to Uruguay's hopes of getting its campaign back on track will be the fitness of striker Luis Suarez, who missed the opener and is still a doubt for tomorrow.

Suarez lit up the English Premier League last season with 31 goals in 33 games but underwent keyhole surgery on his left knee last month and was not deemed fit enough to face Costa Rica.

While Tabarez was cagey about his key striker's chances of facing England, Suarez himself has no doubts about his fitness.

"I'm 100 percent, otherwise I wouldn't be here," he told Uruguayan reporters at the team's training camp on Monday. "I'm training today with the team and I feel in good condition. I never lost the joy and the desire. I never thought I would miss the World Cup."

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