Abby Brammell

By Matt Barlow

Flat on his back: Steven Gerrard receives treatment in Irdning


England suffered a World Cup injury scare yesterday when Steven Gerrard limped out of Fabio Capello’s alpine training session.

Gerrard received 20 minutes of treatment on his right calf after pulling up sharply, seconds into an 11-a-side practice match in Irdning, Austria.

Glen Johnson also missed training with a groin problem and Stephen Warnock injured an ankle, which could threaten his chances of playing in Sunday’s friendly against Japan.

However, there was better news for England after Capello revealed that midfielder Gareth Barry is making excellent progress after an ankle injury and has a good chance of being named in the squad for South Africa.


In the red: Gareth Barry (left) is making solid progress


Johnson is expected to train today but the Liverpool right back missed more than two
months of the season with a knee injury and was nursing an ankle problem last week.

Jamie Carragher and James Milner are backups but both prefer to play elsewhere


Fighting fit: England hope Glen Johnson (left) will face Japan


Meanwhile, Inter Milan last night indicated that they still intend to target Capello as a
replacement for Jose Mourinho after the World Cup.

Inter’s technical director Marco Branca said: ‘The squad will reconvene on July 15 for pre-season training, we can wait until then.’


Wanted: Inter Milan are not giving up on Fabio Capello


For now, though, Gerrard is the more pressing concern for the England manager.

The vice-captain pulled up after launching into a sprint and while the FA insisted his knock was nothing serious, he has been struggling with a stiff back, which flared up after a flight home from a recent holiday in Dubai.

That cannot have been helped by a 12-hour journey from London to Irdning yesterday, when the squad were hit by a flight delay and a traffic jam in the Alps.

Ledley King’s training was also limited to ease his troubled knees


source :dailymail