By AVI CREDITOR
The World Cup infirmary has been getting more crowded by the day, but three nations have received good news on the injury front as the tournament approaches.
Mexico's Rafael Marquez, Serbia's Nemanja Vidic and Slovakia's Martin Skrtel all are on the comeback trail and seem likely to be ready for their respective World Cup openers.
Marquez, who injured his right leg in Mexico's friendly with Italy, returned to training Monday, the first time that El Tri has trained in South Africa with its entire 23-man roster present, according to the Associated Press.
Vidic, key to Serbia's central defense, is still not training while recovering from a virus, but manager Radomir Antic expressed his confidence in Vidic's ability to be ready for Serbia's opener against Ghana.
Skrtel received a clean bill of health on his ankle, after tests showed that there was no tissue or ligament damage. Initial fears were that he would have to miss the entire tournament, but he appears to be fit for Slovakia's opener against New Zealand.
WHITECAPS TO UNVEIL NEW CREST
The Vancouver Whitecaps will join Major League Soccer next season, and the next step in that process takes place at 11:30 a.m. when the team reveals its new crest.
Whitecaps diehards and anyone else interested in seeing MLS' newest team logo can view the ceremony live here.
ENGLAND INJURY UPDATES
James Milner sat out training for England on Tuesday as he recovers from an illness. He played in Monday's friendly against Platinum Stars, but reportedly had a temperature and missed practice. With Gareth Barry declaring himself out for Saturday's game against the United States, Milner would be a candidate for some playing time in England's World Cup opener.
Barry returned to full training for the Three Lions but is still expected to miss Saturday's match.
Goalkeeper David James is still dealing with a knee injury and trained lightly on Tuesday. He did not play in Monday's friendly, and Fabio Capello hasn't named a starter in goal for Saturday yet.
MANCHESTER CITY RELEASES A FEW
Manchester City is gearing up for the summer transfer period by releasing six players on Tuesday. Among those who won't be at Eastlands next season are Martin Petrov, Sylvinho and Benjani. The team figures to be a big player when the transfer market opens, and among the rumors swirling is a Robinho-for-Ibrahimovic swap with Barcelona.
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What do you make of all the injury news? Excited for Vancouver to join MLS? Who would you like to see start in goal for England? Could you see Robinho at Barcelona working out?
Share your thoughts below.
Its that time of the year….here comes the trolls
I love the fact that MLS is expanding and I think it will only benefit the league but what I hate about it is the geographics. Living here in the southeast in Mississippi, we have no real oppurtunities to see a game unless we go across the country. This is why I wish they would seriously look into bringing a team into this region of the country. I promise there is a market here.
“chicarito” – HAHAHA what a moron
Vancouver = Lambda Lambda Lambda (Tri-Lambs)
Haha, if only. Maybe one.
White caps new crest is strong. Strength, legibility, fairly simple and a unique crest shape to boot. It’s not PSV, Arsenal, Fulham or Milan but it’s good.
Learn how to spell “fascist”, dunce. At least that way, you’ll be a racist nitwit who can spell.
ironic how you call the trolls bigoted, then go on to say something bigoted yourself.
Vancouver makes a great addition to the MLS, as does Montreal. Expanding into a fervent Canadian market makes a lot of sense, especially when the organizations are as established and well run as those two are.
Now, St. Louis on the other hand…
HA! Even the Mexicans would throw him out for that! …”chicarito”…HA!
dude come on
With all of these obnoxious and bigoted mexican trolls on here, suddenly the facist new law in arizona looks more and more appealing..
http://www.mlsnet.com/news/article/whitecaps-fc-reveal-new-crest-season-ticket-information
Pretty good crest. 10,000 season tickets sold already
It’s funny, I’ve never seen Mexico get to the quarters in a World Cup not played on their soil
so if you ran a club, what would you do? Just have an academy that produced 23 players that were just SICK every couple years? If that’s the case, need to get you down to Bradenton ASAP.
Doh! The troll’s comments have been deleted; now my sarcasm doens’t make sense. Sorry.
On another note, anyone else going early to Dempsey’s in NY for the SBI party? I probably will watch the Nigeria-Argentina match there…
also, the new whitecaps logo is absolutely horrific. terrible in every way.
I can’t wait for you to learn how to spell, troll
wow.. most would say the world cup is the epitome of “when it matters”
idiot.
Where’s the admin? Can someone delete all the all cap comments please?
Kenneth, But who would bother going there?
i dont even think its worthwhile to make a real response to this
I normall don’t feed the trolls but…
Consistantly better except in 2002 WC and 2007 Gold Cup and qualifying 2009 – did those things not matter?! hahaha. And consistant in its in ability to make it past the first knockout round. Consistantly mediorce – OPEN YOUR EYES!
They are the poor man’s Spain and Netherlands. Have talent but CHOKE on the big stage.
Who was first in CONCACAF in 2009 again? Mexi…no, wait..U.S.A.
Good luck to the Mexican diving team next year.
Wow! Explain that one.
I’m sure you’d love to have Torres in the middle now, huh.
Benjani: Winner against Man UTD away, City’s top scorer in Europa league all those years ago who carried them into the quarters I believe. Probably wrong, but they did well. The three games he actually played this year he had 3 assists and a goal in the FA cup. Benjani>Robinho
In your dreams! That topic is not worth discussing.
Shouldn’t it be Abre Los Ojos, anyway?
Open your eyes that Vela and Dos Santos can’t even buy their ways onto any club’s starting XI. our players, aside from Gooch are all starters for decent teams. Most play abroad. Can’t wait for SA to hand down the pain to Mexico. Open your eyes to Mexico never winning away games as well
Well, since they’ve only played once in the WC (that 2-0 victory), you can’t really say that. Also, the past 3 world cup qualifiers, they’ve split with the US, while finishing…ready for it?….SECOND the past two years. So please…give us some hard evidence.
Oh, and your caps lock is stuck on. Idiot.
Flame much?
What universe are you living in? Have you checked the head-to-head record over the past decade? Mexico has been the USA’s doormat for quite some time
Vancouver lifted the Weezer logo
Why on earth would Barca agree to Robinho for Ibrahimovic, unless it came with boatloads of money?
What does “buy a title” mean exactly, and is it even possible to avoid under the EPL system?
It would be nice to see a football club not buy a title like they do overseas.
It’s so funny how Europe condemns the US as a cowboy, capitalistic empire, but in their football they are worse than we are.
No team in the EPL (yes, the EPL not the old 1st division) hasn’t bought their title. Even Blackburn did it.
you didnt even spell his name right you moron.
the place where Mexico gets its last victories before losing in round of 16 every World Cup
What are “teh groupe stages”?
2-0!
World Cup 2002!
Los Gringos!
get past france and uruguay first puke tosser
i can’t wait for USA to lose in teh groupe stages
VIVA MEXICO
MLS to pick up every player that Man City dropped?
Why? when there are 20 teams that will be the most exciting.
I hope because of those injuries England will be weaker, so we might win.
No, I’m actually not excited for Vancouver to join MLS.