Montenegro coach wary of threat posed by Wayne Rooney
EURO 2012 QUALIFIER, GROUP G - ENGLAND v MONTENEGRO Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Tuesday 12 October Kick-off: 2000 BST Coverage: Live on ITV1, commentary on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Sport website
Rooney (left) has trained with England after recovering from his ankle injury
Montenegro coach Zlatko Kranjcar expects England's Wayne Rooney to be a threat in Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley despite his recent problems.
Rooney has been out of form this season after a poor World Cup and has faced allegations about his private life.
However, Kranjcar said: "The chance to play will help his self-confidence and restore his game.
"One thing is for sure, England are definitely a better side with Wayne Rooney than they are without him."
However, Rooney has only scored once for Manchester United and has looked completely out of sorts since returning from international duty last month.
A combination of the fall-out from his well-documented private life and a recent ankle injury have apparently hampered the 24-year-old's search for top form.
Kranjcar, though, feels the player has only himself to blame for his difficulties.
"I am sure it is very difficult for Rooney, but he got himself into this situation," said Kranjcar, who took over as Montenegro coach in February.
Kranjcar took over as Montenegro coach in February
"He has big difficulties handling it psychologically. There is a lot of pressure on the player, so he is in a very difficult situation right now."
Kranjcar, the father of Tottenham midfielder Nico, has lifted his team to the top of Group G after three 1-0 victories against Wales, Bulgaria and Switzerland.
"After three wins at the start of this group, we can be quietly confident things can continue to go well for us," he stated.
"We are aware that the England team is very strong but we go into the game without any fear and are determined to show what we are capable of and get a result we are happy with.
"England do have some injury problems but it doesn't matter who is on the field for them, it will still be difficult for us.
"However, it is our intention to make a good impression at one of the temples of football."
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