Wayne Rooney: Lineup Change Will Disrupt England's Momentum at Euro 2012

Now is not the ideal time for England to be making serious lineup changes, but with Wayne Rooney returning, Roy Hodgson doesn't really have a choice.

The Manchester United forward will be making his first start for England on Tuesday after missing the first two games of Euro 2012 due to a suspension, which means that either Danny Welbeck or Andy Carroll will lose his starting spot. Moreover, the Three Lions will be changing their lineup ahead of a critical game against Ukraine, England's last matchup of this round.

After 1-1 draw in the opening game against France at Euro, England badly needed a win over Sweden to keep its hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals alive. It squandered a halftime lead before surging back on the heels of Danny Welbeck's game-winning goal in order to register a thrilling 3-2 win, which means that it only needs a draw versus Ukraine to advance.

But now, in order to make room for Rooney, Hodgson must sit one of two players who both scored in the big win over Sweden. Rooney just finished serving a suspension stemming from a red card in England's final qualifier this spring, and the situation couldn't be tougher. Hodgson knows his team managed to get to this point without Rooney, and he knows that removing either Welbeck or Carroll from the starting lineup would be an insult after the way they played against Sweden.

But what choice does he have? He can't not start Rooney, one of England's best players, plain and simple.

Maybe having Rooney back in the starting lineup will boost the Three Lions. Maybe his skill and his confidence will allow the team to play up to its potential. Rooney, for one, sees that as the likely outcome. He told the DPA:

"

I think we're good enough. I know everyone doesn't want us to build expectations up, but I firmly believe we have got the players. We are hard to beat now. If we keep doing that and keep working hard then there's no reason we can't go really far and be in with a shout of winning it.

"

Though Hodgson acknowledged he has no choice but to relegate someone to bench duty in order to accommodate the star—he said "all hell might break loose" if Rooney didn't start—there is a chance that too much reliance on Rooney could hurt England. Other players might defer to him, and after missing the first two games at Euro, he might not be able to deliver. There's something to be said for team chemistry, and England clearly had some of it without Rooney. 

If England registers a resounding win on Tuesday, the move to start Rooney looks genius. If it loses—well, for Hodgson's sake, hopefully it doesn't.

With his hands tied, he's just going to have to hope the lineup switch doesn't cost England the chance to move on.