Five times World Cup winners Brazil will face Holland on Friday without their influential midfield Elano, who injured his shin in the 3-1 victory over the Ivory Coast in the group stages. Elano, who turned 29 earlier this month, scored three goals in twenty starts for Turkish side Galatasaray. The former Manchester City man has scored two goals so far in this World Cup tournament – in the opener against North Korea and just before his injury against the Ivory Coast. Brazil managed to draw 0-0 with Portugal to finish top of the group before beating Chile handsomely in the last sixteen.

Brazil team doctor Jose Luiz Runco said Elano was suffering a bone bruise, the result of a crunching tackle in the second group game. Runco released the following statement: “He can walk and run without changing direction, the problem is the impact, when he puts weight on it. The bone is swollen inside, hence the name. The treatment is to avoid impact, he can work in a swimming pool and on the exercise bike. He could be better in a few days, a week or a month. We still hope he can play next week but I can’t say that categorically. He is working intensely so we have to see if nature can give a helping hand.”

The injury is frustrating for Elano who was hopeful of playing in the match against Chile last Monday, however the midfielder was critical of the referee who failed to give a foul for the challenge. Elano was quoted as saying: “I told the referee that he didn’t even give a free kick for a tackle which could have broken my leg. The same player then committed another heavy foul on Robinho for which he should have been sent off. They have to have another look at this type of violence because the people who are losing out are the ones who get injured. In our team, we have players with different characteristics but you never see our players committing a malicious tackle, in contrast to some of our opponents.”

England eased past Slovenia 1-0 to finish runners up in Group C and now face a dramatic showdown against the ‘old enemy’ Germany on Sunday 27th, whilst group winners USA will play Ghana the previous evening. England’s performance was much better than against Algeria the previous Saturday. The United States secured a place in the last sixteen after a dramatic late winner from Landon Donovan against the Algerians. The goal put Slovenia out of the World Cup and booked the American’s match with the runner up of group D.

Germany’s Mehmet Ozil scored a superb winner in the second half against Ghana, whilst Serbia failed to beat Australia, going down 2-1 after a superb header from Tim Cahill to open the scoring. Germany have impressed so far in the tournament, even if they did lose to the Serbians in their second fixture. England have met Germany four times in World Cup history – most famously in the 1966 World Cup final when England won the match 4-2. The second time the two sides met a Gerd Muller inspired performance helped the Germans get revenge in the 3-2 victory in 1970. The sides met again in 1982 in a 0-0 draw and the last meeting occurred eight years later, when the Germans won on penalties after a tight 1-1 draw.

England manager Fabio Capello has an injury concern in Wayne Rooney, after withdrawing the striker in the second half after he picked up an ankle injury. Capello spoke earlier to reveal: “I think Wayne will be okay for the next game. We play together, we fight together,” Capello added. “I’ve again found the team I know. We can go forward against all the teams because the players’ minds now are free, without fear, without doubt.” England haven’t lost a game in open play since the 2-1 defeat to Brazil back in 2002, however did go out on penalties to Portugal in 2006 and I’m sure no England fan wants to see the game go to penalties this time round.

The Fiorentina and Italian play maker Riccardo Montolivo believes he is the ideal replacement for Andrea Pirlo, who will miss the early stages of the tournament through injury. The AC Milan deep lying play maker is set to miss the Italy’s opening two group games against Paraguay and New Zealand after injuring his calf muscle in a recent friendly against Mexico. Italy are the defending World Champions and will be aiming on July 11th to reach a joint record five World Cup titles – currently held by Brazil.

Italy are expected to adopt a 4-2-3-1 formation or 4-3-3 in the opening game, with Montolivo breaking from midfield to support the lone front man Alberto Gilardino. The former Atalanta man praised Andrea Pirlo for his ‘special’ ability, however he believed that there are ’3 or 4′ players in the current Italian squad that can step up to the plate for the Azzurri. The went on to add: “Pirlo is a special player. But I think there are two or three Italian players that can play in his position when he is missing. I have played in Pirlo’s position this season. I believe this role suits me, it’s ideal for me.”

Montolivo also spoke about being ‘thrilled’ at his involvement in the World Cup, having watched his countrymen lift the crown back in 2006 on TV: “In 2006 I watched the World Cup on TV, now I am here. This is the most important tournament in my career and I am thrilled. The experience of playing in the Champions League this year has given me added confidence and I am ready to have a say”. Many are not backing the reigning World Champions to successfully retain their World crown, despite having been drawn in a very favourable group. Marcelo Lippi is back having stepped down in 2006 and taken over from Roberto Donadoni, who’s unsuccessful European Champions in 2008 cost him.

Having already seen key striker, Marco Streller withdraw from the World Cup, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld now has a new concern. Captain, Alexander Frei injured his ankle in training after a tackle from Steve von Bergen. He has been sent for a scan so the extent of the injury can be conduced.

This blow leaves Switzerland with a real problem upfront. Albert Bunjaku has only 2 caps to his name and Eren Derdiyok is young and raw. The third striker, Blaise Nkufo is old and has only won 29 caps since 2002. With Streller out of the World Cup there would appear to be no obvious player to call up to the squad to replace Frei should his injury be serious. The uncapped but highly rated 18 year old Nassim Ben Khalifa (who will join Wolfsburg from Grasshopper on July 1st) is on standby for a late and surprising call up. Ben Khalifa has not even been capped at Under 21 level yet.

This would be heartbreaking for Frei – he limped out of Euro 2008 in front of the home Swiss fans and then went on to break his arm later that year. The early reports from the Swiss medical staff say this may only be an ankle sprain – in which case he might be able to make the second group match against Chile.

The Swiss team are one of the last to arrive in South Africa and fly tonight. Frei has flown with the team.

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Manchester United and Portugal winger Luis Nani has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a shoulder injury. Nani hurt his shoulder in Lisbon prior to the squad flying out to South Africa, however at first it seemed like a minor injury and the player would be able to compete in the opening fixture on June 15th against the Ivory Coast. The winger played in eleven qualifying games and was second top goalscorer with three goals. He joins team mate Rio Ferdinand as another major star to miss the World Cup through injury.

A statement for the Portuguese national side read “Following the injury to the left clavicle suffered by Nani, a daily assessment of the damage and the completion of medical tests, we have concluded he is unable to be competitive. The medical file will now be presented to the medical department of Manchester United. In light of the report, the Portuguese Football Federation, taking into account the FIFA regulations for the 2010 World Cup, will call-up Ruben Amorim as a replacement.” Benfica’s Ruben Amorim will replace him in the squad. The Benfica midfielder had been on stand-by since Nani sustained his injury, and will fly out to South Africa today to join up with the squad. Amorim can operate on the right hand side of midfield and has filled in at back before.

Nani was expected to have a decent tournament after an impressive turnaround for Manchester United this season. The winger was expected to be sold in the January transfer window, with United being linked with Angel Di Maria of Benfica, however the Portuguese starlet put in a number of superb performances – including a man of the match performance against Arsenal at the Emirates. He was hoping to help Portugal finished higher than third, which they achieved in 1966 after Eusebio lit up the tournament and finished top scorer.

The build up to this World Cup has been as much about who may not be there as to who will be there. Players have been ruling themselves out of matches or getting serious injury scares. It seems that a high proportion of these players, often influential players, are based in England and play in the Premier League.

Consider five groups international players can slot into: PL players who are fit and have been selected; PL players who are selected but have picked up big concerns; PL players whose injury status meant selection was impossible; PL players who have been selected unfit; and non-PL players who were selected but have picked up injuries. Straight up one can point out that any argument I make is flawed in that my focus is on quite clearly Premier League players. I’m sure it is possible to do a similar experiment with many of the world leagues. However, the Premier League is the world’s biggest league with the world’s best players – a very high proportion of players selected to play at the World Cup come from the Premier League.

Into those groups we can add names. The Premier League players who are fit and have been selected I will ignore as there are many. Into Premier League players who are selected but have picked up big concerns goes: Cahill (Everton, Australia), Altidore (Hull (loan), USA), Behrami (West Ham, Switzerland), Skrtel (Liverpool, Slovakia), Palacios (Tottenham, Honduras), Drogba (Chelsea, Ivory Coast), Ferdinand (Man Utd, England), Bendtner (Arsenal, Denmark), Ballack (Chelsea, Germany), Heitinga (Everton, Holland), Gerrard (Liverpool, England), Nani (Man Utd, Portugal). Without going into individual cases all of those players are either out of the World Cup through injury having been selected or are very big doubts.

Into Premier League players whose injury status meant selection was impossible I will only give a few examples: Brown (Man Utd, England), Hargreaves (Man Utd, England), Zamora (Fulham, England), Anderson (Man Utd, Brazil), Bosingwa (Chelsea, Portugal), Woodgate (Tottenham, England).

Into Premier League players who have been selected unfit can go: Torres (Liverpool, Spain), Rooney (Man Utd, England), Barry (Man City, England), Fabregas (Arsenal, Spain), Essien (Chelsea, Ghana), Mikel Obi (Chelsea, Nigeria).

Finally, into non-Premier League players who were selected but have picked up injuries can go: Pirlo (AC Milan, Italy), Robben (FC Bayern, Holland), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan, Brazil), Forlan (Atletico Madrid, Uruguay), Karhan (Mainz, Slovakia), Streller (FC Basel, Switzerland), Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain) – Iniesta was selected unfit.

Too many Premier League based players are included in these lists. It begs thinking about whether Premier League players play too much.

The structure of football in England means that a player can play 38 league games, 14 domestic cup games (excluding replays), and between 15-19 European games – totalling a potential 67-71 games in a season. That is a very heavy schedule.

In a World Cup year, the number of games a player plays is even more crucial. To the clubs it is the same as usual, the season is no different. To the governing bodies, in England – the FA, their motives are split. They want a competitive domestic system but they also want the national side to progress.

What can be done about the amount of football played in a World Cup year to try and stop these injuries from occurring? The two most common suggestions are to start the season earlier and incorporate a winter break. This would not change the number of games played but would allow for the players to have time off either at the end of the season or mid-season to recuperate. La Liga has adopted a full-time winter break. Such an idea has been advocated by club managers here. Sir Alex Ferguson said in January of this year:

“My experience tells me that when you get to December, it is draining for players to continuously play matches every Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday. It is difficult to play football through heavier grounds in cold weather. By December, everybody needs a break. With a break in January you can repair the small injuries the players pick up. Even the coaches need a mental break. Why don’t we use the whole of May to make up for the loss of matches that are held in January?”

Of course, Ferguson has the progress of Manchester United at heart when he made those comments but they become applicable to the national sides too.

One other suggestion I have heard is to cut the number of teams in the Premier League to 18 and have only one domestic cup. I don’t advocate this idea – other countries have leagues with 20 teams in, the Premier League should be no different.

When clubs do try and rest players in the Premier League, even if the motive is not for the sake of the national team, the idea is not supported by the FA. Wolves were fined £25,000 for fielding a changed line-up at Old Trafford which included all 10 outfield players being switched. Mick McCarthy believed Wolves would not win the game with his strongest team out so wanted to save them for the next, more important game against Burnley.

The Premier League clubs will be concerned by how many of their players will come back from the World Cup and find a season starting in the very near future. Many will not have a proper break from football and be thrust into pre-season training soon after returning. Such is the concern that Manchester United have admitted that all their players at the World Cup will be given a month off and the club have accepted that they will be forced to start the new season without some important players.

This all makes for nice reading – in hindsight we can make suggestions to counter all these injuries that are happening to players associated with the Premier League. However the reality is a little bit different.

Premier League based players are professionals. They are monitored, primed and shaped to play a lot of football at an intense level. Players in Europe’s other top leagues will be playing as much football as Premier League players. There are more Premier League based players at the World Cup than from other leagues therefore the proportion of players injured who play Premier League football is higher.

The biggest factor I believe is conditioning and the nature of the Premier League. English domestic football has become frantic, quick, strong and very competitive. Players who want to play in England at the top level must be at the top of their game. There is more chance of a player being injured in the Premier League than other leagues for this reason.

When a Premier League player now goes on international duty he will find the standard of football and the speed of the football fall from what he is used to. Premier League players are conditioned to play at a high tempo. At a World Cup, the training sessions are so controlled that the players are finding they are have to hold back. The matches are so different from what they play week in week out that the body has to make an adjustment. No longer are tackles flying around. The players find they have a tiny bit more time on the ball. These conditions lead to injuries.

I would argue that the Premier League has become too strong. No longer is international football the ultimate form of the game. Injuries will occur at international football – because of the strict conditioning a Premier League player is used to; their bodies are so in tune to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League that when it stops, the body can’t handle it.

I find it amazing that the FA do not try and support a more drastic type of break in the season, especially in a World Cup year. The Premier League may be the strongest league in the world but it may also be prohibiting some of its biggest stars from appearing on the biggest stage in football.

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Arjen Robben is set to join his teammates at the World Cup in South Africa, with his left hamstring not in as bad shape as initially thought. Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk revealed that he is confident that the Bayern winger will be fit for the start of the tournament, after picking up the injury against Hungary in the 6-1 victory the other day. According to Dutch state broadcaster NOS, Van Marwijk says he has “decided not to summon any substitute for Arjen. I want to give him every chance to still participate in the World Cup.”

Holland kickoff their World Cup campaign against Denmark on June 14th 2010, with Robben expected to feature as one of the two wingers in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The two times World Cup finalists have never played Denmark, Cameroon or Japan before in the World Cup before – all opponents in Group E. The Dutch squad arrived in South Africa Sunday evening and Robben is expected to join up with the squad later this week in preparation for the game against Denmark the following week.

Coach Bert van Marwijk spoke earlier today: “I decided not to call up a replacement to give him the chance to recover and get back in the squad during the tournament”. Robben is vital to the Dutch cause, having been part of the qualifying side that went unbeaten throughout. Robben played in the 2006 World Cup finals, scoring a single goal in three matches. The 26 year old winger has had a wonderful season with Bayern Munich scoring two vitals goals away at Fiorentina and Manchester United to put Bayern through. Bayern eventually lost 2-0 to Internazionale in the final.

Chelsea and Ivory Coast’s top marksman Didier Drogba looks set to miss the World Cup finals after sustaining an elbow injury in the 2-0 victory against Japan. The injury comes as a massive blow to the tournament with a number of key players either doubtful or injured. Michael Ballack, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Essien, Rene Adler and Salvador Cabanas are only a few of the stars that will not be featuring this summer and with Fernando Torres, Andrea Pirlo and Lionel Messi all considered ‘doubtful’ in recent weeks – the tournament didn’t need another major star to drop out. Both Didier Drogba along with Samuel Eto’o are unmistakable icons of African football and it will be a major blow to CAF.

Ivory Coast lineup

Drogba is pivotal to the success of Ivory Coast and the tailisman knows it. His 44 goals in 68 games is a phenomenal scoring record at International level. Below is our suggested lineup, with Drogba included, however if he isn’t available Kone or Didane will step in:

Drogba injury

Drogba, holding his right arm, left the pitch and it has been confirmed that the frontman has sustained a fractured elbow. Ivory Coast and Manchester City defender and captain Kolo Toure says his team mate will not be able to play in South Africa: “For him, he said, the World Cup is finished. We can just see on his face that he was sad and when he is like that you can’t ask more. It is difficult for us because he is such a really important player.” Ivory Coast, managed by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson played down the challenge from Tulio: “It’s an elbow injury. How bad it is, I don’t know. He had a lot of pain. Of course I’m worried. He’s captain and one of the world’s best players. It was unlucky. It wasn’t bad or stupid. He [Tulio] didn’t want to hurt anyone. Football is a game of contact.”

Drogba hope: Statement released

Even though many colleagues and reliable sources are ruling Drogba out of the tournament the Ivory Coast football federation are not giving up hope just yet. The following statement was released: “He was taken urgently to a medical centre in Sion, where X-rays revealed a fracture in the player’s right forearm area. Didier Drogba’s state of health is the object of all the attention of the Elephants’ medical staff and of distinguished specialists. The Ivory Coast Football Federation stress that the striker Didier Drogba has not, for the moment, been ruled out of the 2010 World Cup.”

England captain Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out for 6 to 8 weeks and will miss the World Cup finals after sustaining a knee injury in training after a clash with Emile Heskey. It is a big blow to England and to Ferdinand who has missed a number of games this season with Manchester United through injury. Ferdinand has played in two World Cup tournaments (2002 & 2006) and has scored one goal in the 3-0 victory over Denmark in 2002. Steven Gerrard will skipper England in Ferdinand’s absence, whilst Michael Dawson has flown out to South Africa as cover for the 31 year old.

Loss of Ferdinand

Ferdinand’s injury is a massive blow to England, although as the Azzurri will testify – losing your best centre half isn’t the end of world, considering Alessandro Nesta was forced to miss the most of the 2006 World Cup due to injury. In the last five years Ferdinand has demonstrated the attributes needed to associate with a top class center back. Comfortable in possession, good reader of the game and his athleticism allows him to step out of defense into midfield to carry the ball forward. His injuries have been a major blow since late 2008 when he sustained a back injury in the warm up against Stoke City. Many had compared the partnership of Vidic and Ferdinand to that of Billy Costacuta and Franco Baresi, however injuries restricted that potential. Below is the side we think that Capello will choose against the USA:

Ferdinand is a natural leader and his influence will sorely be missed in the England camp. Having said that his replacement, which we think will be Ledley King, has had a wonderful season alongside Michael Dawson at the heart of Tottenham Hotspur defense. King is great in the air, strong and can read the game extremely well. His only drawback is the amount of injuries he has had over the years, which restricts his training. King’s reading of the game is one of his greatest assets, although his lack of mobility may be a concern considering his partner, John Terry, is not blessed with pace. Against weaker opposition England can press higher up the pitch, although will be subject to the counter attack if up against pacey forwards. Against ball playing sides, the English will surely rely on counter attack themselves, something that has always been criticised in England. The counter attack has to be a tool in any top football sides arsenal. Counter attacking was always associated with ‘smaller’ clubs/nations, however we see top sides time and time again in the Champions League and my guess is that we will see it next week.

The Capello Factor

There is no doubt about it; England fans gets lost in a wayward, but passionate, hysteria that usual ends in heartbreak. England’s best performance in 2006 was arguably the quarter final defeat to Portugal on penalties, especically after Wayne Rooney had been sent off for a stamping on Ricardo Carvalho. England have always been associated with grit and determination, however with Capello at the helm England look a much more organised unit, that can incorporate a decent passing game. England’s association with the long ball game lasted far longer than it should have done, with many fans still demanding a more direct approach with a ‘little and large’ combination of forwards. Although Capello admires the contribution of Emile Heskey, the strong Aston Villa forward, that has only notched up seven goals in fifty eight caps, the Italian will surely go with Wayne Rooney as the lone forward with Steven Gerrard just operating off him. Who are we to question Fabio Capello, the man that has won league titles with AC Milan, Real Madrid (on two separate occasions), Roma (only the second in their history) and Juventus.

The key: Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney has had a wonderful season at Manchester United this season, notching up 34 goals in all competitions. His main attribute has been one of the biggest talking points over the years – versatility. Rooney is built in the mold of a cross between the twinkle toes and upper body strength of Paul Gascoigne and the power of Alan Shearer. There is always a great debate as to where Rooney’s best position in. Is he better operating from deep, or possibly an out an out striker or even as a wide forward drifting inside but not neglecting his defensive duties for on rushing full backs. Personally, I think he is at his best as a lone forward, but given license to roam the field. His should be encouraged to use his versatility but whilst operating as the furthest man forward. If Rooney drops the centre halves have a problem.

Do they (a) follow him or (b) leave him free/pass him on? There is no doubt that Manchester United would prefer the defenders to push up and squeeze the space, which allows space for Valencia, Nani and when on his game Anderson to drive forward past Rooney. His athleticism allows England’s number 10 to burst forward and rejoin play, against a disorientated back line. The excellent Jonathan Wilson and the quite brilliant Zonal Marking have discussed this position previously, coining the phrase ‘false nine’ – a player who is not an ‘out-and-out striker’ playing as a lone forward. Rooney is one of the most complete forwards in European football and can adapt to either push high up the shoulder of the defender or as explained, dropping deep to allow space in behind for others to gallop into. Steven Gerrard will no doubt aim to exploit this space as he does when playing behind Fernando Torres at Liverpool.

Head coach of Denmark, Morten Olsen, has named his final 23 man squad for the World Cup. He has included the promising Palermo centre back Simon Kjaer despite picking up what looked like a potentially serious injury against Senegal yesterday. Kjaer will still undergo some scans so the extent of his injury can be assessed and monitored but the early expectations are that he will be able to play a part at the World Cup.

The squad includes four players from English clubs – Thomas Sorensen (Stoke City), Lars Jacobsen (Blackburn), Daniel Agger (Liverpool), and Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal). The most exciting player in the Danish team is without a doubt, 18 year old Christian Eriksen. He is a young midfielder who plays for Ajax and has been capped on two occasions for Denmark already. His former coach, Martin Jol has made comparisons with Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder.

Denmark last competed at the World in 2002 when they were knocked out in the second round by England, losing by three goals to nil.

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