Wayne Rooney has joined in the mind games before the Champions League final on Wednesday by questioning the temperament of Didier Drogba, the Chelsea striker. “Sometimes he seems as if his head’s not quite there,” the Manchester United forward said.

“When he’s at his best, he’s an unbelievable player. He’s big, strong, he scores goals – left foot, right foot, headers – at times he is unplayable.”

Michael Carrick, Rooney’s teammate, has always been happy to take a more laid-back approach, so when the midfield player declares that something “frustrates me a little bit”, you know it must be a serious issue. The vexation in question is his mystifying absence from Fabio Capello’s plans, but only when the Champions League is over will the Manchester United midfield player allow himself to lie back and think of England.

Carrick signed a new contract on Saturday to keep him at Old Trafford until 2012 and his form over the past six months has led many to wonder why Capello has continually overlooked him since taking over as England manager. “It frustrates me a little bit,” Carrick said. “But England is not something I have thought too much about. Hopefully if I am playing well I will get a chance. There is probably no better place than a Champions League final to showcase what I can do.”