Manchester United injury news: Roy Hodgson expects Wayne Rooney to be fit before the end of the season

Roy Hodgson has revealed that Wayne Rooney will be fit for the final two months of the Premier League campaign after admitting that the Manchester United striker will return to action by the first week of April at the latest. The England international suffered knee ligament damage during the Red Devils' 2-1 loss against Sunderland which ruled him out for up to six weeks.

According to the Daily Mail, the English striker is heading to Dubai for warm weather training to aid in his recovery after he was informed that he does not require surgery for his latest setback. A surgical procedure would have seriously jeopardised his chances making the England squad for the European Championships in France in June this year.

The Three Lions boss, however, has given the 20-time English champions a major boost as they chase a place in the top four and silverware in the FA Cup and Europa League. Hodgson has revealed that the England team doctors are in regular contact with their United counterparts regarding his recovery process.

"Our doctor speaks to their club doctor, and we were told that it was probably going to take six weeks - at the very, very worst or could take a week or two more, which would take him into the first week of April," Hodgson said, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.

The former Fulham and Liverpool boss also made it clear that a fit Rooney was certain to make the Euro 2016 squad as he is the captain of the England team, but made it clear that he has to show a certain amount of form to be considered in the starting XI.

"Wayne's qualities, his leadership qualities and the fact he is captain of England is not transient – that is a given. There is no way I should be looking to dismiss a Wayne Rooney who is fit and playing football on the basis he is out of form, because he is our captain and a captain is important and there are 23 players," Hodgson said, as quoted by the Mirror.

"What he has got to try and do is get fit, so I can pick him and then show enough form when he is with us to demand a place in the team – that is what Wayne fully understands because he is a footballer and all his life he has had to do that."

"Wayne Rooney is someone I'm really counting on, going to the Euros, and I'm fully expecting him to be fit," the England manager added.