His name is Rio, he’ll be watching in the stands..

Just as England thought their injury worries were easing as Gareth Barry joined in with team training in a sun-soaked Rustenburg, their World Cup hopes suffered a significant setback when Rio Ferdinand was taken to hospital with a knee ligament injury which will rule him out of the World Cup.

The Manchester United centre-back, aged 31, sustained the injury in what has since been described as a “normal tackle” involving team-mate Emile Heskey towards the end of training. His absence however, will be a huge cause of concern for the meticulous Italian Capello, who had to scroll through his recently used contacts and advise the previously uncapped Michael Dawson to catch the next plane to South Africa.

But just how much will Rio’s lateral knee ligaments affect England’s chances of reaching the later stages of the tournament?

Earlier in an injury-hit season for the united man, we saw Spain’s Fernando Torres as he tore past Ferdinand to crash home a drive and persistent back problems meant he only made 13 Premier League starts for United. The injury is a big blow for England and it would be easy to be dismissive of England’s chances due to the loss of a man who the squad looked upon for leadership, experience and charisma.

However, Tottenham’s Ledley King may represent a perfect replacement for the crocked Ferdinand so long as his own knee stands up to the test in order for him to try and emulate the excellent performances which played a huge part in Tottenham finishing in the 4^th and final Champions League spot.

Speaking to www.goal.com Former England man Bryan Robson spoke of a blow for England but also how Ledley King represents a pool of talented cover at centre-half.

“It’s unfortunate for Rio but now Michael Dawson, Ledley King and Matthew Upson get their chance.”

“I think England can still win the World Cup. There’s enough strength in that centre-half position to cope with Rio’s loss.”