Wayne Rooney is responsible for the accidental ankle injury that rules Jason Knight out of Ireland’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Derby County revealed over the weekend that the midfielder, 20, was facing between eight and 12 weeks out.
And that will sideline him for September’s triple-header against Portugal, Azerbaijan and Serbia.
But the Telegraph revealed tonight that it was actually Rams boss Rooney who went into a 50-50 training ground challenge with Knight.
And sources close to the Ireland international have also confirmed the chain of events that leave Derby without one of their star players going into the new Championship season.
Speaking at the weekend, before his role in the incident came to light, Rooney had said: “Jason Knight, unfortunately, will be out for eight to 12 weeks with an ankle injury.
"He has rocked his ankle. Thankfully he doesn't need surgery but needs the time to make sure he gets his ankle strong again.
"Of course (it is a huge blow), everyone knows what Knighty brings to us, he is a fantastic player, great energy, and he will be a loss, but we have to deal with that."
