SIR ACCUSED OVER ROONEY VIRUS

Sir Alex Ferguson has been accused of lying over Wayne Rooney's mystery illness.

The Manchester United striker has been ruled out of the opening matches of the new season with a virus that Ferguson claimed had been contracted during the club's brief trip to Nigeria two weeks ago.

"It's a virus he's picked up in Nigeria, I believe, and it's not a nice one," Ferguson told reporters on Tuesday.

But Ferguson's comments have sparked outrage in the country, with Bassey Ndem, an organiser of the tour, telling The Sun: "They did not catch it in Nigeria.

"It's a lie from the pit of hell and it's sad someone had to go to that length to degrade Nigeria. Rooney only sat in his hotel room. He was in Nigeria for less than 24 hours."

United have yet to release any details about Rooney's illness, other than insisting the forward was not suffering from malaria.

In his press conference, Ferguson claimed that the only medication the United party took before the trip were anti-malaria tablets, although it has since been reported that they were also given injections for yellow fever and hepatitis.