Newspaper reports have suggested that England star Wayne Rooney (pictured below) is already on a shortlist for Olympic selection following the recent pruning to 80 of Team GB coach Stuart Pearce's (pictured top) so-called "long list".

However, the FA has made it clear that when the party is further trimmed to a final 18 – three of whom can be over the age limit of 23 – none of those who play in Poland and Ukraine just beforehand will be in the frame.

"Any player who travels to Euro 2012 with England will not be considered for the Olympic GB team," confirmed Club England managing director Adrian Bevington.

"This position has not changed."

Although Manchester United striker Rooney, 26, is suspended from England's first two games of the finals, he is expected to be included in the Euro 2012 squad by whoever is in charge of the national team.

England currently has no permanent manager, with England under-21 manager Pearce, 49, currently juggling both jobs, including the senior-team role on a caretaker basis.

"The list of 80 does include players who are regulars in the England squad and they remain on the Team GB list until England's Euro squad is finalised," Bevington explained.

"[But] if they are selected for Poland and Ukraine they will not be available for the Olympics."


The situation regarding eligibility has been further complicated by FIFA, world football's governing body, now insisting clubs must release any player selected for an Olympic squad – even though the tournament was not originally on the international calendar.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted his pre-season plans lie in tatters after revealing that 10 of his squad could be lost to the Olympics, which takes place just a month before the start of the 2012-2013 Premier League season.

"It's ridiculous – utter chaos," he has reportedly said.

The Olympic men's gold-medal match will be played at Wembley on August 11, just 24 hours before the new season gets underway with the annual Community Shield between the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners – also at the national stadium.

Fifteen of the 16 countries to contest the Olympic men's tournament are already known with either Oman or Senegal set to grab the final place tomorrow night; the women's draw now has its full complement of 12.

Both the men's and women's draws are scheduled to take place on Tuesday (April 24).

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