Post by Salem6 on May 16, 2006 17:02:46 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/4771681.stm
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has confirmed his
23-man squad for this summer's World Cup.
Eriksson has not made any changes from the provisional
list of players he announced last week, which included
17-year-old Theo Walcott.
Injured striker Wayne Rooney is in the squad and
Eriksson has until 24 hours before the team's first
game on 10 June to decide whether to replace him.
Jermain Defoe and Andrew Johnson are on standby if
Rooney fails to recover.
Eriksson will take his players to a training camp in
Portugal to start preparations for the finals in
Germany during the summer.
He will be without Arsenal defenders Sol Campbell and
Ashley Cole, who will be travelling to Paris for the
Champions League final against Barcelona on Wednesday.
But their team-mate Walcott has been allowed to link
up with England after discussions between Gunners boss
Arsene Wenger and Eriksson.
Striker Walcott was the shock choice by Eriksson but
is set to play some part for England during their
warm-up games in the build up to the World Cup finals
in Germany.
He is expected to figure in an England B game against
Belarus on 25 May.
Newcastle forward Michael Owen is also set to play as
he bids to regain his fitness after breaking a bone in
his foot in December.
The rest of the squad will have warm-up matches
against Hungary on 30 May and Jamaica on 3 June, with
both games being played at Old Trafford.
Left-back Ashley Cole is one of the players likely to
benefit from the matches before the team travel to
Germany and he has thanked Eriksson for sticking with
him during an injury-blighted campaign.
"When I did my thigh I didn't have that long left
until the squad was announced and then I did my ankle
so I thought I was never going to be picked," he told
BBC Radio Five Live.
"But the manager has always stuck by me and always
given me the confidence that if I play more than five
minutes I will get in the squad.
"I've played three games so I'm happy.
"He spoke to me, came to the training ground and spoke
to the manager and physio. He came to see me train and
in reserve games so I owe him a lot."
-------------------------
Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson (Tottenham), David James
(Manchester City), Robert Green (Norwich)
Defenders: Gary Neville (Manchester United), Rio
Ferdinand (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea),
Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Sol Campbell (Arsenal), Jamie
Carragher (Liverpool), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea)
Midfielders: David Beckham (Real Madrid), Michael
Carrick (Tottenham), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Steven
Gerrard (Liverpool), Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich),
Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham), Stewart Downing
(Middlesbrough), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon
(Tottenham)
Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Michael
Owen (Newcastle), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Theo
Walcott (Arsenal).
Standby: Scott Carson (Liverpool), Luke Young
(Charlton), Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham), Jermain Defoe
(Tottenham), Andy Johnson (Crystal Palace).