World Cup: Danny Welbeck doubtful for Italy clash

Danny Welbeck is a major injury doubt ahead of England’s opening game against Italy.

 The Manchester United forward trained on Tuesday with a strapping on his thigh and limped off before the end of the session at England’s training base in Urca.

England are due to leave for Manaus, where the clash with Cesare Prandelli’s men takes place, on Thursday.

If Welbeck misses that match it would mean a reshuffle of England’s likely front four, with Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley among those who could be considered by manager Roy Hodgson as a replacement.

Hodgson will almost certainly be without Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is more likely to be available for England’s second match against Uruguay on June 19.

Oxlade-Chamberlain continued to train away from his team-mates on Tuesday, mainly running at a faster pace as he continues his recovery from a medial knee ligament injury.

“It looks very unlikely that we’ll replace him,” Hodgson said of Oxlade-Chamberlain.

“I don’t think that will be the case. I’m not a doctor I can’t give you real up to date or detailed information about where it is.

“He has got a strained medial ligament – that we do know. But he is certainly working very hard and I don’t think he could be further forward in terms of his progression than he is now.”

“We did a training session yesterday where the players who didn’t play on Saturday against Honduras trained, and some of the others did a warm-down session,” he said.

“Steven did some extra work at the end of that training session. There’s nothing wrong with him and I don’t understand that story at all.”