WHILE the rest of the country frets about Wayne Rooney's recovery from a broken foot, his Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand has insisted that, in Michael Owen and Peter Crouch, England possess two strikers able to make his World Cup fate irrelevant.

While Sven-Goran Eriksson still hopes that a second scan next Wednesday will allow Rooney to play at least some part in this summer's tournament, the striker has already been all but ruled out of his side's opening three matches in the group stage.

Despite both Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard being discussed as potential striking options, that almost inevitably means Owen and Crouch playing together as England tackle Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden.

The pair, who failed to sparkle in last week's B team defeat to Belarus, are likely to be paired again this evening as England continue their World Cup preparations against Hungary at Old Trafford.

And after watching them combine to devastating effect in last November's 3-2 win over Argentina, Ferdinand is confident they can fire their side to glory this summer if Rooney is ruled out.

"I don't really have to talk about Michael, because everybody knows all about him already," said the England centre-half, who will partner Chelsea's John Terry tonight. "He's a tremendous poacher and he scores goals.

"In a big match, you know you can rely on someone like Michael. He might not see the ball for 90 minutes, but in the 91st minute he'll get you that goal that you need. Crouchy is under-estimated a little bit. He's not only got a good touch for a big man - he's got a good touch full stop.

"The Argentina game signifies what he can be about. He came on and he wasn't the one that everyone was talking about. But for both of Michael's goals, he was the one dragging two or three players towards him.

"The Argentinians were looking at each other and thinking, 'Who's this?' They were attracted to him, Michael Owen got a yard of space, and the rest is history."

Ferdinand has developed a close friendship with Rooney since the latter made a £20m move to Old Trafford in August 2004.

He remains hopeful that the talismanic striker will make it to this summer's finals, but admits his recovery from a broken metatarsal is in the lap of the Gods with just nine days to go before Eriksson must confirm his final 23-man squad.

Rooney assumed almost messianic importance after a string of impressive displays during Euro 2004 but, while his presence would offer an undoubted boost to the rest of the squad, Ferdinand maintains England have enough depth to prosper without him.

"It would be great to have Wayne but, when I look around the changing room, I see players that are capable of coming in and playing," he said.

"If I looked round the changing room and didn't see anybody, I'd think 'Bloody hell, without Wayne we've got no chance'. Then I'd be worried, but that isn't the case.

"We have players who can grab a game by the scruff of the neck and win it for us at any given time. With Wayne, there will be one extra. But, without Wayne, there's enough in there to do that."

Gerrard, in particular, has impressed Ferdinand this season, although the 27-year-old claims every member of England's likely four-man midfield possesses the goalscoring qualities needed to transform a game in a second.

"I was at the FA Cup final the other day and, while it was sickening for me, it was great to see an Englishman doing what Stevie did," he added.

"Frank Lampard - 20 goals as a midfielder, you can't ask for much more.

"Then there's Becks and Joe Cole and I've not even got to the forwards yet. I've probably left names out, but there are just a few who can win games by themselves."

So Rooney or no Rooney, Ferdinand insists England are right to enter next month's World Cup with confidence. After all, we all have a pretty good idea how it is likely to end.

The centre-half spent last weekend poring over a host of World Cup supplements, plotting his side's likely route through the competition.

Their ultimate destiny will have come as no surprise to anyone who possess even the faintest knowledge of England's World Cup past.

"We get the papers and look at the World Cup diary to see who can play who just like everyone else does," he admitted.

"We're fans first and foremost and we don't change in that respect.

"We're excited and we work everything out just like you guys. Who will England play in the final? Probably Germany."