Germany vs England – Rooney fit and ready to fire
Published:England have been boosted ahead of their last 16 clash with Germany by the returns to training of Wayne Rooney and Ledley King.
The Manchester United striker took part in a training session on Saturday which featured all 23 players in Fabio Capello’s squad.
And with even the perennially unfit King joining in, the injuries that have so cursed this group of players at the World Cup seem to be easing.
This good news is in stark contrast to Germany, who have been hit by a number of injuries, and an England win is beginning to look even more tempting at 8/5.
Rooney is expected to start alongside Jermain Defoe (7/1 to score first) in attack against Germany, and Rooney is 11/2 to open the scoring.
Rooney seemed jaded as well as unfit during England’s draws with the USA and Algeria, but he was sharp and lively during the 1-0 win against Slovenia.
King is still some way from regaining match fitness, but the Tottenham defender’s participation in training will hearten Capello.
The return of the King is not necessarily a priority for Capello, however, as Matthew Upson and John Terry seem to have formed a good understanding in central defence. England are 7/4 to keep a clean sheet against Germany.
With all 23 players training, Capello now faces a selection dilemma; whether to stick with his Slovenia-conquering XI or twist and include his fit-again fringe players.
How big a boost will this news be to England? They are 8/5 to beat Germany. See the full Germany vs England market.
