Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is in a race to be fit for England’s World Cup opener against Italy after being injured in the team’s penultimate World Cup warmup match.
The Arsenal midfielder’s right knee was hurt in a challenge by Carlos Gruezo in the second half of a 2-2 draw against Ecuador in Miami Gardens on Wednesday.
After undergoing scans on Thursday, the English Football Association confirmed he “suffered a medial knee ligament.” No prognosis for his recovery time was given.
England’s World Cup campaign kicks off in nine days against Italy in Manaus, Brazil, and the team is still hopeful he could be in contention for a place in the matchday squad.
“Gutted to have picked up an injury yesterday,” Oxlade-Chamberlain wrote on Twitter. “I’m staying positive and getting to work with the medical team on recovery. Fingers crossed!”
Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes has said it was a bad idea for Brazil to spread the World Cup over 12 cities.
“We are a continental country, we are very big,” Paes said on Thursday. “We made a mistake. We should have fewer cities hosting the World Cup than we have.”
The World Cup starts in a week, but several of the 12 stadiums are still being finished, and work outside many continues with roads and sidewalks being put down, and sponsor and media areas still under construction.
Brazil is spending about US$11.5 billion (Dh42.24bn) on the World Cup with about $4 billion going to build or renovate 12 stadiums.
Fifa requires only eight venues for a World Cup, but Brazilian politicians decided to sprinkle the games across the country, building at least four new stadiums that are expected to be white elephants when the World Cup ends in Rio on July 13.
Paes said repeated delays have hurt the country’s image.
Spain will take top ranking into World Cup
Defending World Cup champions Spain will travel to Brazil as the No 1 team in the Fifa rankings, and the host nation will kick off as No 3.
Spain and Germany remain 1-2 in Fifa’s monthly standings, while Brazil leapfrogged No 4 Portugal. Algeria, at No 22, are the top-ranked in Africa and No 43 Iran head the Asian teams. Australia, No 62, are the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup. The UAE paid for their 4-3 friendly defeat to Armenia last week – the only game that qualified toward May’s ranking – as they dropped five places to 72nd.
Germany still limping
Germany’s World Cup injury problems are receding ahead of today’s friendly against Armenia, the team’s last game before departing for Brazil. Coach Joachim Loew says goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will not face Armenia “because we don’t want to take any risks”, but that he will be fit for Germany’s opener against Portugal on June 16. Neuer has been labouring with a shoulder injury. Loew says he expects both Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger to play some part. Lahm had an ankle injury while Bayern Munich teammate Schweinsteiger had a knee problem.
Friendlies do not matter, former Italy coach says after draw against Luxembourg
Former Italy coach Marcello Lippi, right, says fans should pay no attention to an embarrassing 1-1 draw with Luxembourg, saying that friendly matches “don’t count”. Luxembourg defender Maxime Chanot equalised with a header five minutes from the end of Wednesday’s match in Perugia, cancelling Claudio Marchisio’s opener and leaving the home side winless in seven matches. “Listen to me: these friendlies don’t count,” Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning coach said. “Friendlies played before big tournaments matter as much as football played in August. Don’t give too much weight to them.”
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