Sir Alex Ferguson has given Fabio Capello the all-clear to include Wayne Rooney in the England squad tomorrow, regardless of whether he is fit to play for Manchester United against Blackburn Rovers this evening, but the Scot has floated the idea that his player may not be required for both of the World Cup qualifying matches, against Kazakhstan and Belarus.

Ferguson said that the decision over Rooney, who injured an ankle in United's 3-0 Champions League victory away to Aalborg on Tuesday, would be “Fabio's call”. He suggested, however, that if the forward is less than 100 per cent fit, Capello, the England manager, could omit Rooney for the matches against Kazakhstan at Wembley a week today and Belarus in Minsk four days later, which the United manager said England “should win comfortably”. Belarus and Kazakhstan are No57 and No120 respectively in the Fifa rankings.

“I have no problems with Rooney joining up with the England squad and the saving grace is that they should win both games comfortably,” Ferguson said. “But that is Fabio's call to make when he assesses how Wayne has progressed. If they decide to play him in one game and leave him out of the other, it's not an issue with me. I'm sure England will win both games and he can cope without Wayne. But that's Fabio's call. He might want to play him in both games.”

The nagging doubts over Rooney's fitness may raise Michael Owen's hopes of a recall to the squad, having played no part in the victories away to Andorra and Croatia last month, but the Newcastle United forward has been given no indication whether he will be in the squad. Capello or Franco Baldini, the general manager, is expected to watch Owen in action for Newcastle away to Everton tomorrow, with the other watching Chelsea play Aston Villa, with Ashley Young, the Villa forward, the main attraction.

Shaun Wright-Phillips hopes to have done enough since rejoining Manchester City from Chelsea to force his way back into the squad, possibly at the expense of David Bentley, while Steven Gerrard will return after injury. Wes Brown has been a peripheral figure for United in recent weeks, but he is expected to retain his place at right back for England unless Capello hands Gary Neville a surprise recall.