DROGBA OUT OF TRAINING BUT FINE

Didier Drogba sat out training on Saturday but Ivory Coast are still hoping the striker will be fit to face Portugal. Drogba broke his arm in a warm-up match against Japan on June 4 and there were initial fears he could miss the tournament, but he had surgery the day after the game and has made a swift recovery.

Ivory Coast confirmed Drogba missed training on Saturday to visit the team doctors, but Sven-Goran Eriksson is still optimistic about his chances of playing against Portugal in their Group G opener on Tuesday.

 

WORLD CUP  3-5-2 FOOTBALL  BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA 

Anywhere… Everywhere… We'll Deliver! - NOBLE STAR

 

ROBBEN TO MISS OPENER

 

Arjen Robben has been ruled out of Holland's World Cup opener against Denmark with a hamstring injury. The Bayern Munich man sustained a small tear in his left hamstring towards the end of Saturday's 6-1 warm-up victory over Hungary.

 

He is hoping intensive physiotherapy will help him play some part in South Africa, but Oranje coach Bert van Marwijk is resigned to being without the 26-year-old for Monday's Group E opener against the Danes in Johannesburg. Robben can be replaced by the Dutch until the day before their first game.

 

 

BOLA BOYZ   WORLD CUP   3-5-2 FOOTBALL   CHELSEA

CLICK HERE to PLAN your WEDDING!

KING CONFIDENT TERRY PARTNERSHIP

 

Ledley King he is confident of playing alongside John Terry in a new-look central defensive partnership following Rio Ferdinand's withdrawal from the England squad. Ferdinand, who suffered a knee injury in training on Friday, is to stay with the squad for the time being at least until he is considered fit enough to manage a long-haul flight back to the UK. That will not be before England's opening game against the United States on Saturday.

 

Tottenham defender King is thought to be at the head of the queue to replace Ferdinand at the heart of the defence, despite not playing a competitive game for his country for three years. Added to that, King's chronic knee injury means he is only able to take part in limited training - and that causes additional problems as he tries to forge an understanding with Terry.

 

Coach Fabio Capello also has Matthew Upson, Jamie Carragher and Michael Dawson, Ferdinand's replacement in South Africa, at his disposal. Upson has missed recent training sessions through illness but is due to join in with the rest of the squad on Monday.

BOLA BOYZ   WORLD CUP   3-5-2 FOOTBALL   CHELSEA

LAMPARD CONFIDENT ROONEY HAS MATURED

 

England midfielder Frank Lampard has warned World Cup rivals against trying to wind up Wayne Rooney. Former USA defender Alexi Lalas, who played in the 1994 tournament, has suggested his country's best chance of success when the two sides meet on 12th June lies in getting under Rooney's skin.

 

The suggestion comes after Rooney received his marching orders in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal four years ago following a clash with Ricardo Carvalho. But the 24-year-old has shown a growing maturity in recent seasons and Lampard has warned the USA players not to try and antagonise the Manchester United striker, who also became a father for the first time late last year.

 

BOLA BOYZ   WORLD CUP   MANCHESTER UNITED   CHELSEA 

CLICK HERE for more WORLD CUP 2010 updates!

DROGBA IS NOT OUT

 

Didier Drogba has been tipped to make a speedy recovery after undergoing an operation on his fractured arm, but his involvement at the World Cup still appears to be in the balance. The Ivory Coast striker was forced out of his side's warm-up game against Japan on Friday and it initially seemed that his World Cup dream was in tatters.

 

However, a spokesman later stated that Drogba had not been ruled out of the tournament 'at this stage' and he has now gone under the knife. The Ivory Coast Federation (FIF) is happy with how the surgery has gone and hopes he will regain fitness as quickly as possible.

 

BOLA BOYZ  WORLD CUP  3-5-2 FOOTBALL  CHELSEA

Anywhere… Everywhere… We'll Deliver! - NOBLE STAR

 

LAMPARD TO WORK WITH CAPTAIN GERRARD

 

Frank Lampard believes he can forge a successful partnership with new captain Steven Gerrard in the heart of England's midfield. Gerrard has been handed the armband for the World Cup after Rio Ferdinand was ruled out with a knee problem on Thursday.

 

Lampard, who is now the team's vice-captain, is fully behind the decision and has no doubts that Gerrard will thrive on the added responsibility as he does at club level. Lampard and Gerrard could be asked to line up together in central midfield against USA next Saturday, with Gareth Barry doubtful due to an ankle problem.

MANCHESTER UNITED   CHELSEA   LIVERPOOL   STEVEN GERRARD

 

DROGBA DOUBT FOR WORLD CUP

 

Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba could miss the World Cup after fracturing his right elbow. The skipper left the field clutching his right arm in the 2-0 friendly success over Japan in Switzerland on Friday after a clash in the 16th minute with Brazilian-born defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka.

 

A hospital scan has now confirmed the injury, and team-mate Kolo Toure says the striker is out of the finals. Manchester City's Toure said he was informed of the news by Drogba himself.

 

3-5-2 FOOTBALL    CHELSEA 

 

OBI MIKEL PULLS OUT OF WORLD CUP

 

Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has been ruled out of the World Cup amid fears over his recovery from knee surgery. Mikel becomes the latest Chelsea player to suffer World Cup heartache with Michael Ballack and Michael Essien unavailable for Germany and Ghana and with Didier Drogba's tournament with Ivory Coast in severe doubt.

 

The 23-year-old missed the closing weeks of the domestic season as the Blues clinched a Premier League and FA Cup double after going under the knife to cure a knee complaint. And he will not feature at this summer's showpiece in South Africa despite being named in the 23-man squad after informing his country that he did not want to risk his long-term recovery.

 

WORLD CUP     3-5-2 FOOTBALL    CHELSEA 

Not enough FOOTBALL??? Click HERE!

ANELKA ESCAPES INJURY

 

Nicolas Anelka has survived a scare when he crashed during a mountain bike ride at France's World Cup training camp on Tuesday.

 

Anelka escaped unhurt after losing his balance on a slippery road and falling at the end of a 50-minute ride on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion.

 

The Chelsea star avoided injury, though, which is a big boost for France as the 31-year-old striker is set to lead the line for Les Bleus at this summer's World Cup finals.

 

 

BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA

 

BALLACK FEELS GOOD CHANCE FOR ENGLAND

 

Michael Ballack says England have the quality to win the World Cup but their history could prove their main stumbling block.

 

Having spent four years in the Premier League, the Germany captain has witnessed several occasions where England have under-achieved, most notably their failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championship.

 

However, the 33-year-old midfielder believes Fabio Capello's men boast one of the best squads for this year's World Cup in South Africa, but must put their national team's previous tournament failings firmly to the back of their minds.

 

BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA  SOCCERTALK