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| May 23, 2006 | Tuesday | Rabi-us-Sani 24, 1427 |
England hopeful on Rooney, Lehmann criticises ball
LONDON, May 22: With 18 days to go before the World Cup kicks off, England remain hopeful Wayne Rooney will win his fitness battle while Germany keeper Jens Lehmann gave the ball that will be used in the finals a big thumbs down.
Rooney's recovery from a broken foot has been headline news in England since the Manchester United striker was carried off on a stretcher in their 3-0 defeat by Chelsea on April 29.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said on Monday he was optimistic that Rooney, who is due to have an MRI scan on Thursday, will be able to play a part in the month-long tournament starting on June 9 in Germany.
“I'm quite sure that at some stage during the World Cup Wayne Rooney will be ready, I strongly believe that,” Eriksson told reporters.
“But I've always been very positive -- maybe more with my heart than my head.”
Hosts Germany's injury woes also eased after striker Lukas Podolski and midfielder Sebastian Kehl returned to training at their Swiss camp.
Podolski had been suffering from a back injury, while Kehl was out with an ankle problem.
Central defender Christoph Metzelder and left-back Philipp Lahm are their only two players still nursing serious injuries.
Metzelder, who has a calf muscle injury, took part in light training on Monday.
“It's going very well,” Metzelder told reporters at the Stade de Geneve. “I'm pretty sure I'll be able to train on Wednesday.”
Poland coach Pawel Janas was not so lucky.
FK Moscow midfielder Damian Gorawski withdrew from the squad after being diagnosed with a serious circulation and respiratory condition just hours before the team left for Germany.
“These tests do not allow us to risk his health and life. We have sent the medical documentation to FIFA.,” team doctor Jerzy Grzywocz said at Warsaw airport.
Lech Poznan defender Bartosz Bosacki has been drafted in since FIFA regulations allow teams to replace an injured player in the squad up to 24 hours before their first game.
While most players and coaches were keeping their fingers crossed that they will avoid any further injury ordeals in the run up to the finals, Lehmann had other issues on his mind.
The Arsenal keeper was predicting hard times for goalkeepers in Germany because of the choice of ball.
“It's a ball for the outfield players and the crowd -- not for the goalkeepers,” Germany's number one told reporters.
“When it rains it's not going to be very comfortable for us.
It gets very slippery.”
“It make(s) the goalkeepers look bad.” champions cause stir
WEGGIS (Switzerland): Brazil's World Cup squad started to arrive in Switzerland on Monday for a two week training camp before heading to Germany ahead of the June 9-July 9 football showpiece.
The first arrivals were AC Milan pair Cafu and Dida followed by Arsenal's Gilberto Silva and Real Madrid's Ronaldo as hoards of journalists and fans gathered around their hotel.
The five-time winners, who are heading in from around Europe and Brazil, will be all together by Monday night before undergoing medical tests on Tuesday and their first training session on Wednesday.
Their first warm-up match is on May 30 against FC Lucerne before tackling New Zealand on June 4.
“The core of the team has already been decided a long time ago and (coach Carlos Alberto) Perreira knows all the players,” said young forward Fred, who is not expected to be a first-team starter.
“The time spent in Weggis will simply serve to iron out some details.”The Brazil-based players were accorded a low key send off when they left from the capital Brasilia.
For the first time, Parreira's defending champions flew out for a World Cup finals without any official leaving ceremony.
The plane carrying the South Americans to their training camp in Switzerland was decked out with five stars representing each of their world titles in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.
Real Madrid striker Robinho, competing in his first World Cup, said: “Ever since I was a kid I've dreamt of playing for the national side and I'm very happy.”Brazil will face Australia, Japan and Croatia in Group F as they go in search of a record-breaking sixth title.—Agencies
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