Tuesday, 15th June 2010

After missing out on England’s opening game against the United States, Gareth Barry claims he is more than ready to return to the first XI when the Three Lions face Algeria on Friday. The Aston Villa midfielder was a regular in the team’s impressive qualifying campaign, but an injury late in the Premier League season endangered his participation in the World Cup.

“The ankle has been fine for 10 days. Another week’s training in the lead-up to the Algeria game and I should be spot on,” Barry explained on premierleague.com. "If the manager had asked me if I was ready to play against the United States at the weekend, I would have bitten his hand off to try and make the starting team.”

With Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard still looking incapable of creating any form of effective partnership, the return of Barry to the lineup could be what England need to rediscover the flow to their stuttering attack.

 

 

 

 

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