Rooney cleared for England duty

England boss Fabio Capello has no concerns over playing Wayne Rooney against Montenegro after speaking to the striker about his father's arrest.

Rooney's 48-year-old father, also named Wayne, was bailed pending further inquiries after being arrested over an alleged football betting scam. But Italian coach Capello has no worries after talking to the Manchester United forward.

He said: "I spoke to him just five minutes ago. I found him relaxed and calm. There is no problem for the game, he will play tomorrow against Montenegro. He told me there are no problems."

Captain John Terry, who has experienced media attention on his own family in the past, also backed Rooney to put the events to one side.

Terry said: "Wayne is focused on the game tomorrow. We all realise the importance of that. It's important for him to go out there and play his football, which he loves doing. He'll always be fully focused on the pitch."

Terry added: "When you're on the pitch and the training pitch you can switch off from anything in life. Tomorrow's game is the most important thing, we all appreciate that."

England need a point in Podgorica to guarantee their place in Poland and Ukraine next summer but Capello will not allow that to alter the team's mindset.

"I hope it won't affect the way we approach the game," he said.

"It would be a big mistake if we were to play for a draw. We need to play to win. I think the players understand the need to play in the same style as always when we've played away from England. I've spoken a lot about this and think they understand what I said."