Steve McClaren is facing up to the grim possibility that Wayne Rooney could miss four of England's last five Euro 2008 qualifiers after confirmation that the hairline fracture in his left foot suffered on Sunday will sideline the Manchester United striker for at least two months.
The injury, sustained in a collision with the Reading defender Michael Duberry at Old Trafford on Sunday, will rule Rooney out of next month's ties against Israel and Russia at Wembley.
Yet, while United hope the 21-year-old will have returned to training by early October, major doubts remain as to whether he will be fit enough to feature in the home tie against Estonia on October 13th and, most critically, the trip to Moscow four days later.
Rooney was rushed back from his previous major foot injury, a broken metatarsal suffered at Stamford Bridge in April 2006, after only 47 days and was a pale shadow of his usual self during the World Cup finals that summer.
"We are putting it at two months," said Alex Ferguson yesterday, the United manager having relayed the bad news to McClaren in a phone-call in the immediate wake of Sunday's game. "He should be back in training by that time but I can't put an exact date on it.
"It's a bad blow not just for us but for England as well. I spoke to Steve McClaren last night. I am obviously disappointed and I could sense Steve's disappointment as well.
"It's obviously bad news for England but they should be able to cope without Wayne against Israel and Russia in September. By the time we get to the October matches I would expect him to be back by then."
Yet that could remain an optimistic diagnosis given the recovery time from such an injury can be frustratingly drawn out. Rooney was ruled out for 14 weeks after breaking a metatarsal during the Euro 2004 quarter-final with Portugal.
United are resigned to being without the striker for eight Premier League games and two Champions League ties, though they can at least turn to their new signing Carlos Tevez.
McClaren's options are much more limited. The England coach, whose side are fourth in Group E, will have taken some comfort in the knowledge that Michael Owen made his first start for a Newcastle XI against the non-league side Blue Star at Kingston Park on Tyneside.
The striker, whose recovery from knee problems was hampered by a thigh injury in shooting practice on July 20th, has fallen behind in his preparations and will not be fit in time for England's friendly against Germany on August 22th.
Indeed, he will do well to prove he is match sharp ahead of the first qualifier, against Israel, next month.
Peter Crouch is suspended for that tie and McClaren spent Saturday at Upton Park watching West Ham's Dean Ashton return as a substitute after 15 months out of the game. He is expected to cast his eye over three other potential strikers - Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent of Tottenham Hotspur and Everton's Andrew Johnson - at White Hart Lane this evening.
However, his problems extend further than merely across his front line. David Beckham is still suffering from swelling on the ankle he originally injured on international duty with his country in Estonia in June while, at the back, Ledley King (knee), John Terry (knee), Gary Neville (ankle), Wayne Bridge (hip) and Jonathan Woodgate (knee) are all ruled out.
With Jamie Carragher sticking by his decision to retire from England duty, McClaren will consider a call-up for the veteran Sol Campbell and the uncapped Everton centre half Joleon Lescott when he names his squad on Friday for the Germany friendly.
Lescott, a €7.5 million signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer, impressed in his first top-flight season and came on as a substitute in the 3-1 England B victory over Albania at Turf Moor in May.
