Rooney cleared to rejoin England

MANCHESTER, England — England striker Wayne Rooney was cleared to rejoin his country's World Cup squad after having his broken right foot examined, FIFA's Web site reported Wednesday.

Rooney boarded a flight to return to Germany on Wednesday evening after having scans on the foot, which he broke on April 29.

There was no official confirmation from either the English Football Association or his club, Manchester United, about the results of the scans on his metatarsal bone which took place at an exclusive hospital. But the 20-year-old striker was all smiles as he left the hospital, the British Press Association reported.

England has until Friday to decide if Rooney should stay on the squad or be replaced by Jermain Defoe.

French player out

SAINT-ETIENNE, France — Djibril Cisse will miss the World Cup after injuring his right leg in France's 3-1 victory over China in a World Cup warmup in.

France coach Raymond Domenech said Cisse was in surgery at a Saint-Etienne hospital. He did not give the full extent of the injury.

"Everyone is devastated," Domenech said. "He is in the hospital. He is being operated on. I'm not a doctor. I don't know the exact nature of the injury."

Domenech said he would not name a replacement before Friday.

Notes

• Three British hooligans somehow slipped into Germany.

Despite efforts by Germany and England to prevent troublemakers from making it to the soccer tournament, Michael Waldheckler of the ZIS police agency said the three have already been spotted. Their movements are being monitored by police, Waldheckler said, though he didn't say where in Germany the hooligans turned up.

Waldheckler said the three were among the 3,500 British hooligans ordered to surrender their passports prior to the tournament. So far, 180 of those have not done so.

• The father of Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez died Wednesday of a heart attack, leaving his son's status for the World Cup uncertain.

Team and federation officials met at their hotel to determine whether Sanchez would be available for Mexico's World Cup opener Sunday against Iran or whether he would return for his father's funeral. A decision is expected today. Sanchez, 32, had been coach Ricardo Lavolpe's clear choice to start after being a reserve for Mexico in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.