Pretoria, June 18 (DPA) Denmark are battling to get strikers Nicklas Bendtner and Jon Dahl Tomasson fit while Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen has been asked by his players to make changes for Saturday’s encounter in World Cup football.
Both teams are seeking to put defeats behind them to keep their hopes alive in the Group E match.
Bendtner believes he will be ready to start but the Arsenal striker admits he is not fully fit after struggling with a groin injury.
Bendtner played for an hour before being substituted in the 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands, after coach Morten Olsen took the risk of playing him for the injured Tomasson.
Bendtner did not take part in Denmark’s training session Thursday, and stayed at the players’ hotel for physiotherapy while Tomasson is still labouring with a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile Cameroon coach Le Guen has not revealed whether he will make changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Japan, but it is thought Arsenal midfielder Alexandre Song may return instead of Joel Matip.
Senior Cameroon players have asked coach Frenchman Le Guen to reconsider his team selection, believing he included too many youngsters against Japan.
‘What we have seen in recent games, which we think is unfortunate, is that many young fresh players have been introduced into the team at the expense of experienced ones,’ midfielder Achille Emana said.
‘They cannot withstand the sort of pressure that comes with playing in big tournaments such as the World Cup.
‘That is why we are appealing to the coach to review the line-up for Saturday’s game against Denmark.’
Defender Gaetan Bong believes the side can bounce back quickly from the defeat to Japan.
‘Football is never perfect and it’s not only about winning. We’re not the first team to lose a match,’ he said.
‘There were good things to work on, we’ll put the bad things to one side and we’ll move on and play a good World Cup.’
Japan play the Dutch in the other group game earlier in the day. A draw in that match would mean certain exit for Cameroon or Denmark should either of them lose.
