World Cup qual. - England train without quartet

Eurosport - Tue, 07 Oct 23:41:00 2008

England began training ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers without a quartet of players, including skipper John Terry.

FOOTBALL England John Terry - 0

Terry (pictured) felt a niggle in his back at the end of Chelsea's win over Aston Villa on Sunday and was not expected to train on Tuesday ahead of Saturday's clash with Kazakhstan at Wembley.

The other missing men were Terry's Chelsea team-mate Ashley Cole, Manchester United's Wes Brown and Stewart Downing of Middlesbrough.

All four were confined to gym work, but the quartet are expected to train on Wednesday and Thursday, when it is expected Capello will play his intended side in a full-size training game.

With Joe Cole out with a foot injury, it is believed Capello will ditch the plan of having a holding midfield and instead pair Steven Gerrard with Frank Lampard in central midfield.

Although the duo has never seemed to work together as a unit, the England coach knows he needs to get the most from the world-class pair, although the presence of Gareth Barry could provide some insurance against the Eastern Europeans.

Theo Walcott is expected to retain his right-sided berth after scoring his memorable hat-trick against Croatia last month, while the return of Peter Crouch provides some competition for Emile Heskey, who should nevertheless partner Wayne Rooney in attack.

Team Talk / Eurosport

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  1. Crouch couldnt head his way out of a paper bag,he can­ score overheads but when the hell is the last time he­ scored a header???Go way out of it whubob,the ball­ bounces off him!!

    From garym008, on Tue 7 Oct 11:03PM

  2. Here...wha?
    Lads 1 win over Croatia doesnt make ye­ world beaters.Id play lampard in the hole behind the­ front 2 and include Benson & Hedges from the very­ start.As for jimmy bullard,what a man!

    From garym008, on Tue 7 Oct 11:01PM

  3. Peter K says.. "so will you southern softies­ button it you all know so much BUT WIN sod all."­

    Christ, that's a bit rich coming from a Newcastle­ fan...Here's a novel idea...How's about you­ worry about your own mess and the woeful state of your­ club, before slagging off the south??

    From melaniepoynton, on Tue 7 Oct 10:56PM

  4. We should start to think of the England team as a squad­ as you would in club. Lampard, Beckham and Owen as back­ up on the bench and Gerrard, Barry and Heskey on the­ field.

    From John, on Tue 7 Oct 10:53PM

  5. Why do people keep saying Heskey.I would not put him in­ my pub side.Oh ok,he could get a game in my pub side if­ one legged fred was ill or blind bill had a off day.The­ man is not good enough,face it.If you want a holding­ man up front use crouch,at least he can control a ball­ and he WILL win all the headers to nod down for runners­ to have a go at goal

    From whubob, on Tue 7 Oct 10:52PM

  6. why didnt they mention that owen hargreaves is injured

    From samer h, on Tue 7 Oct 10:52PM

  7. "I would play Crouch and Defoe up front, 11 goals­ between them so far. Enough said"

    Spot on.­ They're used to playing together and Defoe's­ form demands a start. Over Heskey anyway.

    From david h, on Tue 7 Oct 10:48PM

  8. Get SWP in the team!!!

    From daniellatarrant, on Tue 7 Oct 10:45PM

  9. Gerrard & Lampard tried so many times and failed in­ most. Why not pick one and stick to him. Left side­ should be a left footed player to keep the width evan­ though he may not be technically as good as a right­ footed player. Why not try some of the younger[not­ brain washed with the current England­ mentality]players?

    From billaing, on Tue 7 Oct 10:42PM

  10. helen, u have never watched football. that other bloke­ was right,get back to the dishes

    From martinol6, on Tue 7 Oct 10:33PM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    What is the matter with terry this gerrard that neither­ have the leadership qualities or honours won like the­ one leader who is in form NOW thats Rio Ferdinand of­ Man-Utd so will you southern softies button it you all­ know so much BUT WIN sod all. yours most sincerely­ Newcastle fan

    From PETER K, on Tue 7 Oct 10:32PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    After his performence in the Champions League Final, it­ is clear that John Terry does not have leadership­ qualities. Give the job to Gerrard.

    From fwh69, on Tue 7 Oct 10:03PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    1st of all Gerrard is better than lampard so why­ you'd put him on the bench is beyond me!!!

    From colinwalton, on Tue 7 Oct 9:58PM

  14. John Terry might well have led Chelsea to win­ back-to-back Premiership titles, but England has been a­ complete failure since he got the armband. So it­ seems, as most people now realise, that the Premiership­ is so fierce, simply because of the foreign talent. ­ Terry is the best of a bad bunch in the England team,­ nothing more.

    From marco.silvestri, on Tue 7 Oct 9:53PM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    it amazing gerreard should be picked as capatain he led­ liverpool to 2 champion league he is the only english­ player to score in all finals of different competitions­ he won 2 fa cups 2 leauge cup plus a league cup final­ runner up plus world club runner up 2 supercup charity­ shield medal and all john terry will be remember for­ his crying in the final against united and semi final­ against the mighty pool he will be remeber as a cry­ baby

    From mushypeas, on Tue 7 Oct 9:51PM

  16. Here's my team against the Kazaks:

    Carson (Give­ him another go against lower opposition, not the bloody­ Croats on a massive night)

    Brown, Rio, Terry,­ Cole
    Theo, Barry, Lamps, Stevie G (as long as he stays­ on the left and doesn't get his feet mixed up with­ lampard)
    Rooney, Heskey

    Thoughts anyone? If cole was­ fit I'd have Stevie G on bench and bring him on­ second half. Don't change a winning team = first­ rule.

    From mushypeas, on Tue 7 Oct 9:47PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    terry doesnt have a champions league winners medal he­ has a runners up medal while gerrard has a champions­ league winners a runners up and plus gerrard does not­ slip when taking a penalty

    From joshyolajide, on Tue 7 Oct 9:46PM

  18. chris mcmanus slagged off the England team and I'd­ like to remind this idiot that;England are in the top 5­ world cup teams ever, in terms of games won, drawn and­ lost. I susspect that this pratt is a jock­ mc'sporren and as such should look to team haggis­ before slagging England.

    From Terry, on Tue 7 Oct 9:46PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I wouldn't worry about it chaps, you will probably­ mess up again anyway. All that talent on the field and­ you can't qualify for anything. its been proved a­ whole team of english players can not play together­ without foreigners! your @#$%!

    From Chris M, on Tue 7 Oct 9:29PM

  20. Terry had led chelsea to two league titles. Gerrard?? 1­ champions league title only?? get a life! Terry should­ be the captain.

    From jersey_seven, on Tue 7 Oct 9:24PM
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