World Cup Digest

A round-up of stories as the build-up to the World Cup continues.

Neville seeks 80th cap

ENGLAND: Defender Gary Neville missed training yesterday for the friendly against Jamaica at Old Trafford tomorrow with a hamstring injury. Neville remains confident of winning his 80th cap but manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, however, is keen not to put the Manchester United defender's hamstring under unnecessary strain because he is the only specialist right-back in the squad.

Watford's Marlon King claims it was his decision to leave the Jamaica squad to face England and revealed he still hopes to represent his country in the future. King will miss the friendly with conflicting reasons given for the striker's departure. While his newly-promoted Premiership club have insisted King was booted out because he criticised Jamaica's training facilities during their two-game England tour, reports from the Caribbean claim he launched a volley of abuse at the team management at a 2.30am disciplinary meeting after breaking a curfew on Tuesday.

Pernia gets the call

SPAIN: Spain have called up Getafe left back Mariano Pernia to replace the injured Asier del Horno in their World Cup squad. The Argentine-born Pernia obtained dual Spanish nationality at the end of April and was the joint top scorer for his club with 10 goals in the Primera Liga last season. The 29-year-old was initially left out of the squad after coach Luis Aragones said his papers had been approved too late and his inclusion would be unfair on others who had played during World Cup qualification.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Vladimir Smicer yesterday ruled himself out of the finals due to a leg injury. Team spokesman Lukas Tucek said Rangers midfielder Libor Sionko had been called up to replace Smicer. "This morning I sat down with the doctors and we came to this decision. I couldn't let the coach, the players, or myself wait any longer," Smicer said. "There are only 10 days to go until the first match and I still can't even train."

Kewell 'not fully fit'

AUSTRALIA: Australia coach Guus Hiddink has revealed winger Harry Kewell will not be fully fit for the group stages of the finals. Kewell (27) is struggling with a groin injury he picked up during Liverpool's FA Cup final win over West Ham. "He will not be at peak fitness, he cannot go full out for 90 minutes in the three games," said Hiddink. Kewell has rejoined Australia's training sessions and Socceroos assistant coach Graham Arnold is confident he will feature in Sunday's warm-up game against Holland and against Liechtenstein on Wednesday.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Captain Dwight Yorke has hailed the impact Chris Birchall has had on the squad. The Port Vale midfielder became the first white player to represent the country in 60 years when he was called up during the qualifying campaign. "At the time he joined the team he was the odd guy out but we all welcome him with open arms and he's been very much a key player to our team," said Yorke.

Ballack plays down remarks

GERMANY: Trying to douse reports he was critical of Juergen Klinsmann, Germany captain Michael Ballack said yesterday he was "by and large" in agreement with his coach on strategy. Ballack said Germany urgently needed to bolster their defence in their final warm-up match today against Colombia even if that meant a dull match for the spectators. "We talk a lot and he knows my views," Ballack said when asked about an interview in which he appeared to contradict his coach by calling for an end to experiments.

SWEDEN: Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg is hoping to get a run-out in today's friendly against Chile as he looks to return to full fitness. The Arsenal player returned to training on Wednesday after spending two weeks on the sidelines resting a foot injury.

"The foot is okay," said Ljungberg. "I think 14 days' rest after Arsenal's tough schedule has been the right medicine for my foot but only going to the gym has been boring.

'A day off is a day off'

BRAZIL: Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said yesterday that his players are free to frequent nightspots on their days off. Parreira said there was nothing wrong with the behaviour of Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Emerson, who were photographed in a bar by a Swiss newspaper late on Tuesday after their friendly against an FC Lucerne Select. "There's nothing to say about a day off," Parreira told reporters. "A day off is a day off."

FRIENDLIES: The Netherlands struck twice early in the second half to cancel out Jared Borgetti's opening goal and beat Mexico 2-1 in a warm-up game in Eindhoven yesterday. John Heitinga equalised eight minutes into the second half and Ryan Babel sealed the win four minutes later. Netherlands coach Marco van Basten used the match to test out his reserves after a virtually complete first choice team beat Cameroon 1-0 last Saturday.

In Norway and South Korea drew 0-0 in the Ullevaal Stadium.