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| July 31, 2006 | Monday | Rajab 4, 1427 |
‘Sven blundered over Defoe’
LONDON, July 30: England midfielder Frank Lampard believes former coach Sven-Goran Eriksson blundered when he left Jermain Defoe at home instead of taking the Spurs man to the World Cup.
England's campaign in Germany was seriously damaged by Eriksson's decision to take only four strikers to the finals with the first choice pairing of Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen carrying injuries.
“Questions had been asked about why we didn't have five strikers in the squad when two of our forwards went into the tournament trying to recover fitness,” said Chelsea star Lampard.
“Personally, I'd have included Jermain as well. I played with him at West Ham and he is a natural goalscorer.”
The criticism aimed at Eriksson was vindicated as Owen was sent home with a cruciate injury, leaving just two experienced forwards in Rooney and Peter Crouch and one, Theo Walcott, who had never played top-flight football.England were beaten by Portugal in the quarter-finals in Germany.
Eriksson has since been replaced by his assistant Steve McLaren.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur captain Ledley King will miss the start of the season after picking up a knee injury in training, the Premier League club said.
“Ledley is out with suspected cartilage problems and he could be out for six to eight weeks,” manager Martin Jol told the club's Web site. “It is a big blow for us.”
It is a big setback for the 25-year-old defender who missed the end of last season and England's World Cup campaign in Germany with a fractured metatarsal in his left foot.
Tottenham were playing newly-appointed Italian champions Inter Milan in a pre-season friendly at White Hart Lane on Sunday.—Agencies
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