Barry on target to be fit for South Africa, says Capello
ENGLAND manager Fabio Capello expects to have Gareth Barry fit for the World Cup squad, and could make a decision as early as today.
Capello had hoped to know at the start of this week whether Barry was likely to recover from an ankle injury in time for the opening match against USA on 12 June.
That verdict was delayed but the Manchester City midfielder has since made encouraging progress, giving the Italian confidence he will make the final 23.
“The tests and scans of two days ago say that his ankle is doing well, much better than what we had thought,” said Capello.
“Most importantly, it looks as if the recovery times will be much shorter. We’ll wait until the end of this week, then we’ll decide if Barry will or won’t play in the World Cup. But we are very hopeful.”
Capello also eased fears over the fitness of striker Wayne Rooney, who has also had ankle trouble, saying: “Yes, Rooney hasn’t scored lately, but everything he does in training gives me the maximum comfort, because he has recovered 100 per cent.”