Rio’s World Cup angst

England captain Rio Ferdinand faces the axe from Fabio Capello if he can’t prove his fitness ahead of the World Cup. The Manchester United player, who has been plagued by back and calf injuries all season, now faces an enormous fight for his place in the 23-man squad for the global showpiece in South Africa. He is expected to sit out of United’s final game of the season against Stoke on Sunday. According to reports, Capello is ready to turn to Tottenham’s Ledley King and Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher if the 31-year-old Ferdinand can’t prove his fitness. Ferdinand will however be able to show he is up for the four-week stint in South Africa by putting in committed performances against Mexico and Japan at the end of this month.