Anxious wait for Eriksson
SVEN-GORAN Eriksson was keeping his fingers crossed that no new injury worries will emerge out of tonight s clash between Liverpool and Bolton as his squad to face Germany prepared to join up.
Danny Murphy s first senior call-up last night took Liverpool s England contingent to seven for the back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against Germany on Saturday and Albania four days later.
However, that means those seven all have a chance of being involved in tonight s Premiership game at some time, with Steven Gerrard almost certain to start to improve his match fitness.
Eriksson tried to have the match postponed, given that the game against Germany is just five days away and that Gerrard and Michael Owen are vital to England s cause.
However, the overloaded fixture programme foiled his attempt and he must watch and wait before knowing whether his entire squad will be able to join up tomorrow.
There is already a concern over David Beckham, who hobbled out of the action yesterday during Manchester United s 1-1 draw at Villa Park.
Eriksson has stressed the importance of having key players fit for a match which England must win to keep alive any realistic hopes of winning the group.
We re at a level where it s very equal between countries like England, Germany, France, Holland and so on. But I think we can compete with anyone, he said.
It depends a lot on your attitude, whether you are in good shape, whether you have got all your players available and so on.
If Gerrard misses out, then the contenders to step into central midfield are all relatively inexperienced Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves and Jamie Carragher unless Beckham moves inside.
Up front, meanwhile, Eriksson is counting upon Owen being fit given that he is, by a long way, the most in-form striker available to the England coach.
England squad: Seaman (Arsenal), Martyn (Leeds), Wright (Arsenal), G Neville (Man Utd), Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Ferdinand (Leeds), Campbell (Arsenal), Brown (Man Utd), Southgate (Middlesbrough), Carragher (Liverpool), P Neville (Man Utd), Mills (Leeds), Beckham (Man Utd), Scholes (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), Barmby (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Carrick (West Ham), McManaman (Real Madrid), Lampard (Chelsea), Murphy (Liverpool), Owen (Liverpool), Fowler (Liverpool), Heskey (Liverpool), Andy Cole (Man Utd).
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Weather for Hartlepool
Monday 28 May 2012
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