When Landon Donovan set out on his three-month loan stint from the Los Angeles Galaxy to Everton FC back in January, many fans of the USMNT were worried that he might have a target on his back when matching up against some of the English players that he is likely to face in the World Cup this June. As it turns out, it was Donovan who cast the first injury stone, knocking out England's starting left-back Ashley Cole for three months with a broken ankle.The injury occurred when the two players collided in a fair challenge during Everton’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea last weekend. Cole had been run ragged by Donovan during the match, with the US international setting up Everton’s first goal and also drawing a penalty kick during what manager David Moyes called the US international’s best performance to date.
Chelsea head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed the prognosis on Friday, but expressed hope that Cole would return to the squad before the end of the Premier League season. If his recovery stays on track, he should be back in mid-May, giving him a little less than a month to prepare for England’s opening group stage match against Donovan and the United States on June 12th.
“I hope he recovers quickly and comes back before the end of the season,” said Ancelotti. “That’s a realistic possibility. He will have surgery today and we hope to recuperate him quickly. In three months he will be ready to play, so for England he can play in the World Cup.”
Cole’s injury could send shock-waves through an England squad that is currently experiencing about as much drama as the average episode of Jersey Shore. If Cole, who is embroiled in a naked-photo-sharing scandal that has just come to light, were unable to be fit in time for the World Cup, his replacement is likely to be Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge. That’s the same Wayne Bridge whose former partner allegedly had an affair with now-ex England captain John Terry, a story that has dominated tabloid headlines over the past two weeks. Some reports claimed that Bridge was ready to quit the England squad because of the scandal; now, the two could find themselves lining up next to each other in the World Cup.
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2 comments:
Hi All
As an Everton supporter its worth pondering the possibility that cole's injury might pave the opening for leighton Baines who Landon knows is a devastating crosser of the ball from set-pieces
Tabloid coverage of Premier League football in the UK these days does its level best to make it into a 'soap' rather than anything that resembles sports journalism. Wayne Bridge's form has been lacklustre for some time now so he should no longer be considered as a shoe-in replacement for Cole at LB. That wouldn't suit the soap agenda however. Everton's Leighton Baines is widely considered the best LB behind Colethese days. Lack of controversy about him results in him remaining largely anonymous amongst the uninformed.
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