Soccer: England's Dyer handed World Cup lifeline

England's Kieron Dyer was thrown a World Cup soccer lifeline yesterday when manager Sven-Goran Eriksson summoned the recuperating midfielder to join the squad in Dubai in order to prove his fitness.

"This is very positive news," Eriksson told the Football Association (FA) website.

"He will be coming out to join us and we will see what happens then."

The 23-year-old Newcastle player has been having intensive treatment on a knee injury ahead of the May 21 deadline for squads to be submitted to world soccer's governing body FIFA.

Dyer spoke to Eriksson on the phone earlier on Wednesday after the England coach received an upbeat bulletin from the Newcastle medical staff.

The midfielder will fly out to Dubai, where the England squad have set up a training camp, on Friday along with FA chief executive Adam Crozier and other FA staff.

He will then travel with the rest of the players to South Korea on Saturday and be put through his paces over the weekend.

West Ham United's Trevor Sinclair, who flew to Dubai after Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard pulled out of the World Cup with a groin injury, will remain with the squad on standby.

Dyer had been told he needed a "miracle" recovery after a reckless challenge by Moroccan defender Tahar El-Khalej in Newcastle's premier league defeat at Southampton last weekend left him in agony.

Eriksson said Dyer must show the England medical team that he has the chance of recovering full fitness for the finals.

He added: "It seems that he can start running on Thursday and it's important that in the next few days, our medical staff get the chance to assess him in detail and see if he can prove his fitness.

"The important thing for any player at a World Cup is to be 100 percent fit."

Dyer was absent when the England party flew to Dubai on Monday for a five-day break during which they are mixing rest and recuperation with light training.

The South Korea and Japan finals begin on May 31, with England facing Sweden in their first game on June 2. They also meet Argentina and Nigeria in group F.

- REUTERS

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