London, June 6 (IANS) England center-back Ledley King is confident his troublesome knees will stand up to the rigorous football World Cup that kicks off Friday in South Africa.
King has become England’s first-choice centre-back in the Cup following the injury that ruled out captain Rio Ferdinand.
Ferdinand suffered a knee-ligament damage in training Friday. His absence has made King the frontrunner ahead of Jamie Carragher to partner John Terry while Michael Dawson has been recalled after initially failing to make the final 23.
King, 29, could be asked to play as many as seven games in the month – a big demand for a player who finds training difficult because of his own chronic knee complaints. In fact, he can train only twice a week.
‘I like to believe so,’ King was quoted as saying in The Guardian when asked if he could play a full part in the World Cup campaign.
‘The medical team, the facilities are second to none. I believe with the right help and support I can do that. The medical team, the manager, have allowed me to do what I normally do. I couldn’t ask for any more than that.’
England are due to play the local Platinum All-Stars side Monday in their final warm-up match, five days ahead of their opener against the US, with King expected to play at least 45 minutes.
‘I’ve shown this season I can play games in quick succession,’ said King, who stepped up his appearances during Totttenham’s run to fourth spot. ‘Monday to Saturday shouldn’t be a problem for me. However many minutes I get, I believe I will be ready if needed on Saturday.’
The defender added that he was confident he could form a solid central pairing with Terry.
‘I’ve known John for a long time. He’s a great communicator on the pitch and that’s what you need,’ King said. ‘It is difficult. We’re not going to have much time for it regardless of me training once or twice a week.
‘Communication is key and if that’s good, we have a good chance.’
