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

Source: Football.co.uk

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.

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.
Point of order: David James is confident of making England's World Cup squad.

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.

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.

'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.

'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.