Teddy Sheringham fears Manchester United may attempt to rush back Wayne Rooney if things don't go well in his absence.

Should United struggle without Rooney, Sheringham fears United boss Sir Alex Ferguson could look to speed up the hitman's rehab - and put England's World Cup hopes in jeopardy.

"The worry is that United rush Rooney back," Sheringham told the Daily Star.

"The problem with ankle ligaments is when you sprain them they are loose and if you come back too quickly and go over them again, that's when you've got a real problem.

"There could be the chance that United could rush Rooney back because of how ­important he is to the team."