Tag Archives: fitness

Capello hopeful on Rooney fitness

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England (9/1 to win the 2012 European Championships) boss Fabio Capello is hoping that Wayne Rooney will be available for selection for his country’s Euro 2012 qualifying match against Montenegro.

The Italian manager believes that off the field revelations about the Manchester United striker’s private life would not affect his decision to select the player.

Rooney’s form for United (11/2 to win the FA Cup) has dipped since his personal life became the centre of media attention as he has only managed to score one goal for the Old Trafford side so far this season.

The former Everton striker picked up an ankle injury in the Red Devils’ Premier League clash with Bolton and will be hoping that he will be fit enough to play for England on October 12.

Capello believes that just playing matches is the best thing that Rooney can do to help him deal with life off the pitch.

He said: “I think at this moment, when you play (if you have private problems) it is better because you are focused on the game and training.

“The games Rooney played in the new position, he played very well. I was very happy. I hope he will be fit for the next game.

“I can speak about the performances for the national team, not about the performances for United,? he added.

Rooney did feature in England’s last European qualifier as they beat Switzerland 3-1, scoring the first goal for the Three Lions.

Capello has stated that he does not think players having problems with money and fame is not a new phenomenon.

He said: Not only now, but before there were the same problems every year – in Italy, Spain and the world.

“It is young people, young men with a lot of money. A lot of money is sometimes one problem, a positive problem. Sometimes.

“Does that make modern management impossible? No. It is private problems. It depends on the people they stay around, the friends.”

Rooney will be hoping to put his off-field problems behind him as he works his way back to fitness.

The 24-year-old should be fit enough to face Montenegro before he goes back to playing for United who will face West Brom in the Premier League.

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Woodgate must prove fitness

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Tottenham (3/1 to finish in the top four) manager Harry Redknapp wants Jonathan Woodgate to prove his fitness in the next three weeks in order to earn a place in the first-team squad.

Woodgate has not featured for Spurs since November last year and is looking likely to miss out on the 25-man squad that Redknapp will need to select ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

The squad must be selected by the end of August, according to the new guidelines, and the defender is on the verge of missing the cut.

The 30-year-old has had a career which has been marred by injury, which also affected the amount of appearances he has made at international level with England.

Woodgate’s current contract at White Hart Lane is due to run out at the end of this season and Redknapp believes that he may have to look for a replacement central defender, if the former Leeds and Middlesbrough player cannot recover in time.

The Spurs boss admitted: “Woody’s nowhere near at the moment. Nowhere near. It must be really hard for him. He’s nowhere near kicking a ball.

“He’s been out for a year, been in America and Australia, but he’s still nowhere near. I just couldn’t put him in my 25. It’s impossible at the moment.”

Woodgate’s groin injury meant he only featured on three occasions for Spurs last season and was forced to miss the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

Redknapp, who also has doubts over the fitness of Ledley King, insists the ex-Newcastle man is facing a race against time to make the Spurs squad.

The manager added: “If he doesn’t start playing before the start of the season he’s got no chance.

“You can’t have somebody in who’s never going to play. He’s got to really prove it (that he will be fit) between now and the start of the season.”

Spurs (9/1 to be the highest finishing London club in the Premier League) will look to continue their strong form from last season, which saw them finish fourth in Premier League and secure them a place in the Champions League qualifying stages.

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O’Shea looking for fitness

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Fit-again defender John O’Shea says Manchester United will be hoping to avoid the injury problems that cost them their Premier League title to Chelsea last year (United 5/2 – Premier League outright).

O’Shea missed much of the last season with a thigh problem and was one of a number of defensive injuries that affected United during a dark December month which saw them lose to both Aston Villa and Fulham, two defeats that eventually proved crucial at the end of the season.

During that time, Sir Alex Ferguson was without key men Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic as well as Wes Brown, Jonny Evans and the Da Silva twins, Rafael and Fabio.

This crisis also coincided with an injury to goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar which meant he was forced to pair midfielders Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick in the heart of the defence with the unfortunate Ben Foster between the sticks.

O’Shea said: “Injuries were a key factor last season and we hope to avoid them this time around. I can never remember so many defenders being injured.

“But we still got so close to retaining the title – only a few lapses of concentration let us down in the end. Now we are all hungry to succeed again.”

United are currently on tour in America and have been regularly training in heat of 30 degrees Celsius. However, O’Shea is not fazed by the heat and insists it will benefit the side come the first weekend of the season.

“It is hard but not as hard as it was in years gone by, mind you,” said the Republic of Ireland international.

“It is more personalised now, which is down to the sports science staff. A good pre-season is so important.”

The Red Devils are currently stationed in Pennsylvania and are due to face a new MLS side on Wednesday night.

Ferguson will have to decide whether or not to risk winger Nani in the match and is expected to field a similar side to the one which won 3-1 against Celtic on Saturday due to the continued absence of a number of first-team regulars because of the extended break after the World Cup.

United start their campaign on Monday 16 August at home against Newcastle as they aim to achieve their fourth title in five years (United 1/5 – 90 minutes).

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Italy sweating on Pirlo fitness

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Italy will wait a week before deciding whether to call up an emergency replacement for midfielder Andrea Pirlo.

Pirlo suffered a calf injury in the world champions’ 2-1 defeat to Mexico on Thursday, and medical staff expect him to be out for up to 20 days (Italy 9/4 to be eliminated in the quarter-finals).

That would rule Pirlo out of the opening Group F fixture against Paraguay in Cape Town on June 14. (Italy 5/6 to win, Paraguay 16/5, draw 23/10)

“He will probably travel to South Africa but will, for sure, miss the first game,” said Enrico Castellacci, Italy’s head doctor.

The 2006 World Cup winner now faces a race to be fit for the second Group F game against New Zealand.

“It’s an injury which worries me but there’s time,” Castellacci said, saying the recovery period was at least 15 days.

“The intention is to take him to South Africa to see if he can be fit. Before June 13 we can change players in the squad.”

Pirlo, who would have been a definite starter, has left the Azzurri’s training camp in the Italian Alps to rest at home.

He was due to miss Saturday’s final friendly with Switzerland in Geneva in any case after coach Marcello Lippi said he would use players who did not feature against Mexico.

Lippi already has concerns over winger Mauro Camoranesi, who has a knee injury, and the loss of Pirlo for any games at the World Cup would be a big blow to the holders.

Castellacci said Camoranesi was progressing well. Lippi had already put midfielder Andrea Cossu, left out of the 23-man squad, on alert to go to South Africa if Camoranesi was not fit and the Cagliari man would also be the most like-for-like replacement for Pirlo.

If both Pirlo and Camoranesi are not fit for the tournament, midfielder Antonio Candreva could come in having been in the provisional 30-man squad.

Pirlo’s dead-ball ability and neat passing were key to Italy’s 2006 triumph but he has struggled for AC Milan in the last two years.

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Torres’ Return To Fitness Boosts Spain’s World Cup Chances

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fernando torres spain 199x300 Torres Return To Fitness Boosts Spains World Cup ChancesSpain striker Fernando Torres has revealed he is optimistic of being fit to play in Spain’s opening game of the tournament on June 16 against Switzerland.

“I’m very well, happy with the progress of the injury. Since January I’ve had two operations, and that isn’t easy,” he told Marca.

“Everything went very well with the first and in the second the objective was to be ready between six and seven weeks, and I’m at the start of the sixth.

“I will do a few more days of specific work and, God willing, I’ll be 100 per cent for the first game of the World Cup for sure.”

Torres was asked if he feels any additional pressure to become the tournaments leading goalscorer and claim the golden boot.

“No, but I know that, along with (David) Villa, I’m lucky enough to be one of the strikers in a team that are among the favourites, and that brings certain privileges,” he explained.

“It’s been a very difficult season. When you start a campaign you hope you will be able to fulfil your dreams, winning titles, not having injuries, enjoying yourselves, and it has been just the opposite,” he added.

“But there is always a tomorrow in football and this summer, the World Cup.

“I’ve put aside the club, the bad season, and I want to finish in the best way possible way by making history with my county.

Spain are currently favourites to win the World Cup at 5.25 with Fernando Torres available at 21.00 to win the Golden Ball.  Be sure to catch those odds as Torres is bound to attract a lot of interest in the Golden Ball stakes with the news of his recovery.

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South Africa boss has fitness concerns

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Carlos Alberto Parreira claims fitness issues could hamper South Africa’s chances of success in the summer’s World Cup (South Africa 6/1 to win Group A).

The Brazilian manager has named a 29-man preliminary squad for the hosts, which includes 19 South African-based players and ten overseas members.

South Africa are seen as outsiders for the competition despite having the support of fanatical home support and have to face Mexico, Uruguay and France in the group stage.

Parreira is set to reduce his squad to 23 players before South Africa open the tournament with against Mexico on June 11th (South Africa 15/8 to win, Mexico 6/5. 11/5 draw on match bets)

He claims integrating local players with those who play in top leagues across Europe could be a real problem as they prepare for the World Cup as the ranging physical conditions could make things “rather difficult”.

“Some of them have played too many games – like Steven Pienaar who has played 27 games since November, some have played half of what Pienaar played while others started in one or two,” said Parreira.

“So they will come here in different fitness levels, which will give our physical trainer a lot of headaches to put them in good shape for the competition.”

The South Africans recently embarked on a training camp in Brazil and Germany, where Parreira named a predominantly home-based squad with only two overseas players.

These players managed only a 1-1 draw against world minnows Namibia and Bafana Bafana fans will be hoping for an improvement in performances when their side play World Cup warm-up games against Argentina and Denmark.

South Africa’s Group A rivals France (16/1 – World Cup Outright) were recently urged to leave their egos at home when they leave to join the World Cup squad by Raymond Domenech.

The French coach saw his side only scrape their way into the World Cup after a controversial win over Ireland in the play-offs.

He told French newspaper L’Equipe that his squad need to realise that “the only thing that matters is the team, not them” and he is expecting a struggle when he names his 23-man squad for the World Cup on May 11th.

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