Fans waited with bated breath all day for the medics' verdict on Rooney's fractured right foot. Their anxious wait came to an end just after 8pm when England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson declared from the team hotel: "It's good news. He's coming back."

Rooney boarded a return flight to Baden-Baden shortly after leaving the private hospital. While there was no official confirmation from either the Football Association or Manchester United, Rooney's smiles as he left suggested all was well.

And the broad grin of FA executive director David Davies as he accompanied Rooney also suggested the forward would play a part in England's quest to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966.

England fans had feared the worst when Rooney went down clutching his right foot while playing for Manchester United against champions Chelsea on April 29.

But their hopes were raised when Rooney was pictured kicking the ball earlier this week – and looking cheerful last night. Rooney's day began when he flew by private jet from the team's base in southern Germany. Amid tight security, he arrived at the clinic just before midday.

He spent 25 minutes inside, accompanied by Davies, England team doctor Leif Sward and Manchester United doctor Tony Gill. When Rooney emerged, he looked grim-faced as he was driven to see fiancee Coleen McCloughlin at her parents' home in Liverpool.

The couple spent the afternoon together until it was time for Rooney to receive the doctors' verdict. He was given the scan results at about 6pm. Urgent discussions followed between officials from Manchester United and England.

Eriksson is desperate for Rooney to play some part in the tournament but United boss Sir Alex Ferguson does not want his star striker to risk aggravating the injury. The England coach must confirm Rooney's place in the squad by 2pm tomorrow – 24 hours before the opening Group B game against Paraguay.

It is highly unlikely Rooney will be fit enough for that or for the match five days later against Trinidad and Tobago. But he should soon be able to return to full training and it now seems that he may be available to play some part in the third group game against Sweden and, particularly, the later knockout stages – should England qualify.

Some punters are so confident he will be a World Cup hero that they have bet on him emulating Geoff Hurst's 1966 feat – by scoring a hat-trick in the final.