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ShareLondon: Making his intentions of putting the fittest foot forward during the Word Cup, England coach Fabio Capello has revealed that regular No 1 goalkeeper, David James, would not be included in the squad if he fails to overcome his knee problem.
"He has to be fit to be selected. We spoke with him, and he needs more time to be really fit. Every time he plays, he cannot train for two days after a game. We thought it would be best for him to stay home and train rather than come to Qatar. If he is fit, he will be with us. Probably," The Guardian quoted Capello, as saying.
James was not included in the squad for Saturday's friendly against Brazil with the 39-year-old unable to train for at least two days after every first-team appearance for Portsmouth.
Instead, Capello handed Ben Foster a fourth cap in Qatar and a chance to stake his own claim, though the Manchester United goalkeeper is only third choice at his club.
The England coach's instinct would be to select a fully fit James as first choice, with West Ham's Robert Green challenging Foster as No 2.
Asked whether he would consider James if his knee, which was flushed out in the summer but swells up after matches, continues to hamper his ability to train, the Italian added, "No, no, we can't. It has to be sorted out before then. I don't know if he needs an operation, but I do know he has some problems with his knee. If he is in the same situation in May, we will have to choose players who are all fit."
While James struggles with his fitness, Foster has been displaced at Old Trafford by the return of Holland's Edwin van der Sar from a wrist injury.
"It's very, very disheartening not even being on the bench. It was a bit out of the blue to be picked [against Brazil], to be honest. I'm third choice for Manchester United and yet I'm playing for my country. It's a weird one," Foster said.
"Ideally, I'd like to be playing for my club. That's not happening, but the England boss is giving me a few chances and I'm really grateful for that," he added.
