Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has broken his silence on Wayne Rooney's three-match England ban.

Ferguson chose not to comment on UEFA's ruling leading up to Saturday's draw at Liverpool.

But he said in Bucharest: "I don't think anybody expected him [Rooney] to get a three-game ban [for England]. It was silly without being seriously dangerous.

"It was a slight reaction and to get a three-match ban... I think when you realise he misses all the group games for England, it could mean he won't be involved at all. As England have experienced in the last few years, it's not easy to qualify in the major championships and I think that resonated on Wayne's mind."