With their first match only days away, the England squad is preparing to kick of their campaign with more than a few things on their minds.

Captain Rio Ferdinand has defended striker Emile Heskey and said that he was not to blame for the injury that ruled the Manchester United player out of the tournament. The ligament damage that cost Ferdinand his chance to skipper his country at South Africa 2010 was caused when Heskey fell on his outstretched leg but the player said “It’s no fault of his at all. It’s just a freak accident that could happen at any time.”

 

Wayne Rooney is looking like a target for both players and referees after the official from England’s final warm up match said that the yellow card dished out to the Manchester United star could easily have been red. Rooney’s temperament has improved noticeably in recent seasons but he remains haunted by the red card he received in 2006 and will doubtless be a focus for other teams.

The USA team are aware of the damage Rooney can do and will try to keep him quiet by legal means. Defender Jay DeMerit said “It’s not our job to kick him when no one is looking. You don’t try to bring it out on a personal level. We’re under no illusion. We’re going to have to be at our best in order to beat him.”

Another team aware of what the Three Lions are capable of are Spain and playmaker Xavi reckons that England could be a potential winner in South Africa. With the likes of Gerard and Lampard, he rates England as one of the top contenders with their previous win, despite it being over 40 years ago, still giving them an edge over those countries who have never won the World Cup.