Man Utd star Robin van Persie fit, Russia captain Shirokov out of World Cup

Netherlands captain Robin van Persie has declared himself 100 per cent fit for the World Cup as the Dutch national side arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Friday for the June 12-July 13 tournament.

The Manchester United striker was withdrawn at half-time of his country's final warm-up game against Wales in Amsterdam on Wednesday with a groin issue but insisted it was only as a precautionary measure after he felt some discomfort.

Van Persie added that he had also fully recovered from the knee injury which kept him out action for two months towards the end of the Premier League season.

"Against Wales, I stayed behind in the changing room for the second half just to be careful because the match against Spain is much more important," he said of the opening game for the Dutch at the World Cup in Salvador on Friday - a repeat of the 2010 final.

"My groin was progressively a little irritated. If it had been a sudden pain I would been concerned but you can't really even call it an injury."

As far as his knee was concerned, Van Persie said in an interview in Friday's edition of the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, conducted on the flight to Rio, that he continued to work daily on strengthening the muscles.

"I've had no twinges from the knee since the injury healed and that's several weeks now. Obviously, I've had to make an effort to get my fitness back and that I've build up perfectly in training over the last weeks."

The Dutch will also face Chile and Australia in World Cup Group B.

Russia captain Roman Shirokov has been ruled out of this month's World Cup in Brazil because of an Achilles tendon injury and will be replaced in the squad by Pavel Mogilevets, coach Fabio Capello confirmed on Friday.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who finished the Russian domestic season on loan at FC Krasnodar from Zenit St. Petersburg, suffered the injury in a game against Lokomotiv Moscow on April 26 and has not played since.

After joining up with the national squad Shirokov underwent an individual training programme and had told a press conference on Thursday that the injury had "almost healed".

However, he has suffered a relapse.

"Shirokov plays a big role in the team but now others have the opportunity to show what they are capable of doing," coach Fabio Capello told reporters after their 2-0 World Cup warm-up win against Morocco on Friday.

"I am one of those people who believes that the glass is always half full."

ENGLAND WINGER

England winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be given until 24 hours before their opening World Cup match against Italy to recover from injury, manager Roy Hodgson said on Friday.

The 20-year-old is working hard to overcome a knee ligament strain suffered in Wednesday's warm-up game with Ecuador and he will be offered every chance to get fit.

Asked when he would decide, Hodgson told reporters: "It won't be before we go to Brazil. It will be at the very, very last moment available to us.

"Twenty four hours before we play our first game. He's working very hard, let's see and hope it's not that serious," he added on the eve of his squad's final warm-up game against Honduras.

"We'll keep our fingers crossed that the injury is not too serious and he will be able to recover in time to take part in the World Cup."
 

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