10.10.2008

Germany - Russia: Robert Enke to miss qualifiers due to broken hand

Robert Enke will miss the two World Cup 2010 qualifiers against Russia on October, 11th in Dortmund and Wales on October, 15th in Mönchengladbach. The keeper of Hannover 96 suffered a broken scaphoid bone in his left hand during a training session. Enke will undergo surgery on Friday.

On Monday, Marcell Jansen of Hamburger SV already had to withdraw. The defender suffers from a rupture of a muscle fibre in his left thigh.

National coach Joachim Löw trusts in an established squad for the two qualifiers. Thus, 16 of the now 20 players nominated were part of the EURO 2008 squad of the "Mannschaft". On Tuesday, the team met in Düsseldorf in order to prepare for the first two 2010 World Cup qualifiers on home soil.

Five players return to the squad who were lastly missing against Belgium, Liechtenstein and Finland due to injuries: goalkeeper René Adler, defender Arne Friedrich as well as captain Michael Ballack, Torsten Frings and Jermaine Jones in the midfield.

Apart from Enke who kept the goal in the last three international matches of the "Mannschaft", goalkeepers René Adler and Tim Wiese as well as Bundesliga top scorer Patrick Helmes were also nominated. In contrast, Christoph Metzelder, Marko Marin and Andreas Hinkel will be missing against Russia and Wales.

Metzelder is said to train with his home club Real Madrid, Marin was nominated for the Under 21 squad for the EURO playoffs against France and Hinkel suffers from a thigh injury.

Bulgaria – Italy: Lippi loses Buffon and Camoranesi injured. Curci called

Marcello Lippi and the National team have their first problem: Buffon and Camoranesi are both out for the two World Cup qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Montenegro. The goalkeeper is out for thirty days, the midfielder fifteen-twenty days for muscle problems. This is the result of the exams that the two players underwent this morning with Professor Enrico Castellacci.

In agreement with the Juventus club, the two players will remain in Coverciano until Thursday, where they will begin recovery. “Buffon has a muscle lesion in his right leg, while Camoranesi – said Castellacci – has a problem with the muscle of the femur of the right leg”. Camoranesi will not be substituted, while the head coach has called Curci in for Buffon.

Source: FIGC

England – Kazakhstan: “Fans will help us”

England manager Fabio Capello has issued a rallying cry to the Wembley fans ahead of tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan.

Capello has got off to the perfect start as Three Lions boss, beating Andorra 3-0 and crushing Croatia 4-1 in Zagreb in his first two competitive games.

But after confirming that skipper John Terry has been ruled out with a back injury, meaning Rio Ferdinand will take the armband, the Italian has told England's fans they will be key against the world's 131st-ranked team.

"The crowd must help the team a lot," said Capello, who will be looking for his side to keep up their 100 per cent record in Group Six before Wednesday's testing clash with Belarus in Minsk.

"They must be patient, and at this moment I believe the fans will help us 100 per cent. I remember the old Wembley when the crowd got behind the team and we need this.

"It is possible we may not score early goals and you must get behind us."

And Capello has admitted it is vital that England build on last month's stunning victory in Zagreb, which was inspired by a hat-trick from Arsenal wonderkid Theo Walcott.

But although he admits he knows little about a Kazakhstan team in transition, Capello is delighted to have the likes of Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard - who missed the Croatia game - back at full fitness once again.

"I am very happy with the performance against Croatia, but it's only three points, and we have to win tomorrow," he said.

"That win was very important for the group, the team, the spirit and the confidence. I think tomorrow we will play with more confidence because of that.

"But it's not an easy game. Kazakhstan have got a new manager, and he has changed seven of their players. I have studied their team, but I don't know anything about them!"

He added: "But we have Steven Gerrard back, who is very important both for us and Liverpool, and he's a fantastic player.

"He can score goals, make good passes and assists. He's a good player and I'm very happy he's back with us."

Source: FA