United will Roo loss of Tevez too

THE good news for Manchester United is that there is no such thing as a one-man team.

The bad news for Manchester United is that the one man the team can least afford to do without is Wayne Rooney.

It’s hardly an exaggeration to say that United’s season could now turn on the healing powers of the ankle which turned so painfully in Munich on Tuesday night.

Even if Rooney returns sooner than expected, he will miss two key games – Saturday’s potential Premiership decider against Chelsea and the return leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern the following week.

Rooney’s 34 goals are eloquent testimony to his vital importance to United this season but his influence at Old Trafford runs even deeper than a hugely impressive goal tally. Ferocious desire, selflessness, work rate and leadership by example have all characterised his performances this season, transforming him into a talismanic figure for the club.

The gifted but enigmatic Dimitar Berbatov has shown signs in recent weeks of finally repaying the money Alex Ferguson splashed out on him but, in a straight comparison with a force of nature like Rooney, few would consider the languid Bulgarian the man you’d reliably turn to in your hour of need.

Unfortunately for the Old Trafford faithful, that man is currently playing out of his socks for the club Fergie likes to dismiss as the noisy neighbours.

Of course, United might still come through without their main man – just as they did without Roy Keane against Munich 11 years ago – but you have to suspect that nothing will underline the cost of permanently losing Carlos Tevez quite like the loss of temporarily losing Wayne Rooney.