England striker Wayne Rooney said Wednesday that he expects Manchester United team-mate Danny Welbeck to be fit to face Italy on Saturday despite an injury scare.
|Last Updated: Jun 11, 2014, 11:58 PM IST|Source: AFP
Rio de Janeiro: England striker Wayne Rooney said Wednesday that he expects Manchester United team-mate Danny Welbeck to be fit to face Italy on Saturday despite an injury scare.
"Danny will be fine," Rooney told a press conference at England`s Rio de Janeiro training base ahead of his side`s World Cup Group D opener in Manaus.
"I`m sure he`ll be ready for Saturday. He`s just not risked anything today, but he`ll train on Friday and will be available for Saturday I`m sure."
British newspapers on Tuesday said Welbeck had been forced out of a closed training session with a thigh injury and he did not train with the squad on Wednesday.
Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is working his way back to fitness after damaging knee ligaments in a friendly against Ecuador, was also absent.
The Football Association has yet to comment on Welbeck`s status.
Beneath warm sunshine at the Urca military base, which looks out over Guanabara Bay, England players were put through possession and coordination exercises in the part of the session that was open to the media.
The condition of the pitch at Manaus`s Amazonia Arena has become a source of concern amid reports it is dry and has bare patches, but Rooney played down the matter.
"We`re not sure," Rooney said. "It`s the same for ourselves and Italy, so we`ll both have to deal with that."
An FA official has confirmed that a member of England`s back-room staff will inspect the pitch after the squad arrives in Manaus on Thursday.
England have also decided not to train at their FIFA-allocated training ground on Thursday and will instead train at the team hotel.
They will then train at the Amazonia Arena for the first time on Friday, 24 hours before facing Cesare Prandelli`s Italy.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.