Dialog remains ongoing between the Football Association and Tottenham’s medical staff over how best to utilize Ledley King this week after the centre-half, as expected, missed England’s first training session at London Colney this morning ahead of the weekend friendly against Slovakia.
King disembarked the team coach, which had traveled from their base at The Grove in Watford, clad in training gear but, after a brief conversation with Fabio Capello, left his team-mates to go and undertake his customary fitness work at Arsenal’s gym and pool. He was accompanied by medical staff from Spurs who will oversee his fitness program. The 28-year-old’s chronic knee problems mean he cannot usually train Monday to Friday, the joint having swollen up after a game, leaving him recuperating away from the rest of the squad.
The Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is deeply uncomfortable with England’s decision to call-up King, who gained the last of his 19 caps in the summer of 2007 and had made clear his concerns in protracted discussions with the England medical staff on Sunday and Monday, describing the situation as “ridiculous”. There remains the possibility that King could yet be withdrawn from the squad, perhaps even as early as this afternoon, if Capello decides it is not worth aggravating the situation further, and with England clearly in agreement with Spurs that the player cannot take part in routine training sessions.
Yet, for now, King remains with the squad with Tottenham’s fears retained that he could play some part in next Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, and therefore risk being unavailable for Spurs’ Premier League game at Blackburn immediately after the international break.
Both Shaun Wright-Phillips (sore back) and Peter Crouch (tight calf) sat out training this morning, though the FA are confident both will be fit to play at Wembley on Saturday if selected. Neither injury is considered serious.
