Rooney Or Henry’s Fitness More Important?

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is pas à de bonnes conditions with Raymond Domenech after Thierry Henry played all 90 midweek minutes of France’s friendly against Greece.

“I don’t speak with him at all,” said Wenger.

“But Henry cannot play Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, Tuesday. It is impossible for one man.”

Wenger rested Henry for the 1-1 draw against Newcastle, only rescuing the points when the Frenchman emerged from the bench to notch an equaliser.

But Alex Ferguson seems to disagree with Wenger over how much football one man can play and not ashamed to boast about how much more there is to come from his favourite young lad, claiming Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney is so full of energy he can play as often as he likes.

“There is no way I will even think about stopping him playing,” said Fergie. “He is a young lad and right now he can play three games a week if he wants to.”

Of course Rooney’s only 21 to Henry’s 29, but Rooney’s also recently returned to full fitness after all that metatarsal business whereas Henry played all the way to the Champions League Final last season, then to the World Cup Final with France (losing both, rough couple of months or what?) before heading straight into the 2006/7 Premiership season.

While it’s not surprising that Wenger is hesitant to put too much strain on his best player – Rooney’s winning brace against Sheffield United and Henry’s equalizer as a substitute proved both men’s crucial value to their clubs’ Premiership season – can he afford not to?

It’ll be interesting to see whose fitness ends up being more important come May.