EXCLUSIVE: James sends promise to Capello - I will be just fine for World Cup

17 November 2009 08:49
David James has moved to ease Fabio Capello's concerns over his fitness for the World Cup, insisting he will be fully fit and available to win his 50th cap when England play their next game in March.[LNB]Capello wants to take the Portsmouth goalkeeper to South Africa next summer but will not take a risk on the 39-year-old if he is still struggling with the knee problem which has troubled him for much of this season.[LNB] Point of order: David James is confident of making England's World Cup squad[LNB]James was among nine first-team players Capello chose to leave behind when he took a significantly weakened squad to meet Brazil in Qatar last Saturday, with the manager expressing concern that the man now widely considered England's best option in goal cannot train for two days after every game.[LNB]But as James explained to Sportsmail, that is not strictly the situation and the time off is actually part of a rehabilitation programme that lets him keep playing for Portsmouth while allowing his left knee to make a full recovery from surgery in the summer.[LNB]'By the time England play again in March my left knee will be fine,'said James. 'I see it as a chance to win my 50th cap, something I'dlove to do at Wembley, and if I'm selected I will be fully fit.[LNB]'I realised I was going to be out for a while after the shouldersurgery in the summer so I decided to get it cleaned up at the sametime. It was just a case of getting a bit of cartilage trimmed. Prettyminor stuff.[LNB]Rules are rules: Fabio Capello insists his players have to take part in England training sessions in order to make themselves available for the next game[LNB]'The shoulder recovered much quicker than the doctors expected and the knee seemed to feel fine, too. But I aggravated it a bit in a goal-kicking session and I have had to be a bit careful with it since.[LNB]'I can see why the manager might be a bit worried but it's not strictly true that I can't train for two days after every game. I just have a programme in place for now that is designed to allow the knee time to make a full recovery and it means I don't do any goalkeeping training on a Monday. I just go in the gym and do conditioning work before returning to goalkeeping work the next day.[LNB]'But if truth be told I've not done much goalkeeping work on a Monday since I joined Portsmouth. When I first arrived I lived in Devon and Harry Redknapp would allow me to do stuff on my own at home on a Monday.'[LNB]For James, everything is geared towards having a successful season with Portsmouth and England, ending with glory at the World Cup.[LNB]'I'm not concerned about my knee and it will not be a reason why I won't be fit for the World Cup,' he said. 'If the injury was a serious one I'd be looking to rest for a number of weeks and miss a load of games for Portsmouth.[LNB]'But I don't need to and that should tell you everything. By managing the situation, I am able to play every week.[LNB]'But I missed England squads earlier in the season because I couldn't train the way the manager wanted me to. He has a very strict policy. If you can't do their training before a game he won't pick you and that's fair enough. And I missed the last squad for Brazil because it was considered more sensible to give me a two-week break. The same went for a number of the lads.[LNB]'For me, it has proved a good decision because the knee is getting better all the time and like I said, it will be fine come the next England game.[LNB]'My first priority is to help Portsmouth stay in the Premier League but my ambition is to end the season as England's goalkeeper at the World Cup. Right now I don't see any reason why I can't give myself the best possible chance of achieving that.'[LNB] Fabio Capello embarks on spying trip to run the rule over England's World Cup rivalsJames KO fears: Capello won't risk injured goalkeeper at World Cup finalsGARY LINEKER: Qatar was a night for the England stars to missPORTSMOUTH FC

Source: Daily_Mail