Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry is a major doubt for the England World Cup squad as the full extent of his ankle ligament damage was revealed today, which will rule the star out for up to four weeks.
Barry sustained the injury in the 1-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham on Wednesday night and today’s tests have shown that the injury is worse than expected.
The 29-year-old has played a pivotal role for England manager Fabio Capello on the road to South Africa and his loss would be a major blow to their aspirations at the tournament next month. A 23-man squad will be named on 1 June.
Man City manager Roberto Mancini commented on Barry’s unfortunate injury;
“I feel very sorry for him. Gareth is a fantastic guy and a fantastic player.
“I hope he can play in the World Cup but Fabio Capello and his medical staff must decide.
“I don’t know exactly how bad (the injury is), maybe three to four weeks, so I hope he can still go.
“He deserves to play in the World Cup.”
