Rooney out of Ajax match

England striker Wayne Rooney will miss Manchester United’s Europa League match against Ajax at Old Trafford on Thursday with a throat infection, Sir Alex Ferguson said Wednesday.

United lead the last 32 tie 2-0 after a first leg win in Amsterdam last week.

Given that advantage, United manager Ferguson may well have rested even a fit Rooney, with Lokomotiv Moscow or Athletic Bilbao waiting for the English champions in the next round.

Teenage French midfielder Paul Pogba could feature against Ajax, although it seems the 18-year-old is more likely to be among the substitutes than handed a starting role.

“It is possible we could give Pogba a run-out,” said Ferguson. “It depends because there are a lot of players who need a game; Nani, (Ashley) Young, (Javier) Hernandez, (Tom) Cleverley, (Chris) Smalling, (Phil) Jones.

“Those players will all play tomorrow (Thursday) and we hope to put a sprinkling of experience amongst it.”

Fernando Torres Left off Spain Squad: Why It Will Be Wake-Up Call He Needs

Fernando Torres should be absolutely embarrassed of himself.

He was not selected for next week’s exhibition against Venezuela. It is the first time he’s been left off Spain’s roster by manager Vicente del Bosque since 2006. He’s been a first-team regular since 2004.

The manager claims “…this doesn’t mean anything. This is not a definitive list for Euro.” But this is obviously not a happy day for the striker.

Perhaps the most shocking aspect of his omission is that Spain’s oft-starting frontman, David Villa, has been sidelined since mid-December with a broken leg. Even with Villa’s absence, del Bosque couldn’t find a spot for him on the roster.

While the boss is quite right, it is not a given that Torres will be left off the squad that defends their Euro title, it’s yet another step in the wrong direction. Torres scored the winning goal for Spain at Euro 2008.

Despite being one of the best players in the world just a few short years ago, Fernando Torres’ career has been hampered by injuries since before the World Cup in 2010.

He has never fully regained his form for club or country, and