With coaches still trying to figure out their World Cup rosters and many star players dealing with injuries that could affect their status for South Africa, the final weeks leading up the June 11 are a tense time for fans everywhere. Stay up-to-date with all the latest news and rumors with FOXSoccer.com. Note: All times are ET.
June 3
James gets England's No. 1 jersey -- 10:05 a.m.
England coach Fabio Capello looks to have finally settled on his World Cup goalkeeper after handing David James the No. 1 jersey to wear in South Africa.
The 39-year-old James, who arrived with the 23-man squad in Johannesburg on Thursday, has been hampered by injury problems and only made his first international start in 13 months in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Japan in a friendly.
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North Korea plan backfires -- 3:00 a.m.
North Korea's cunning plan to use their third goalkeeper spot for an extra striker has backfired badly, BBC reports.
FIFA have told them Kim Myong-Won, who usually plays as a center-forward, will only be able to play as a goalkeeper in the World Cup.
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June 2
Chile star almost certain to miss first game -- 1:24 p.m.
Striker Humberto Suazo seems certain to miss Chile's first match at the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury.
Suazo picked up the injury in a friendly match against Israel on Sunday, in which he scored a goal. Medical reports released Wednesday said Suazo, who is Chile's leading striker, may need up to three weeks to recover.
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June 1
Walcott left off England squad -- 11:43 a.m.
Theo Walcott was omitted from England's final 23-man World Cup squad on Tuesday, one of seven players dropped by coach Fabio Capello following a training camp.
Capello preferred the more experienced Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips to the Arsenal winger, who was at the 2006 World Cup at age 17 but never played.
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South Africa drops McCarthy -- 7:00 a.m.
South Africa's all-time leading goalscorer Benni McCarthy missed out on the World Cup host's final 23-man squad on Tuesday.
McCarthy, the West Ham striker, was one of six players cut by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.
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Camoranesi limps off at Italy practice -- 1:00 p.m.
Midfielder Mauro Camoranesi has limped off Italy's training pitch with an apparent left leg injury.
Injury details were not immediately available, and it was unclear if the problem would put Camoranesi's status on Italy's final 23-man World Cup squad in jeopardy.
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Ivory Coast cuts 3 who made 2006 squad -- 10:52 a.m.
Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson cut striker Bakari Kone and midfielders Emerse Fae and Gilles Yapi Yapo from his World Cup squad on Tuesday.
Eriksson also left out Kanga Akale of Lens and defender Abdoulaye Meite of West Bromwich Albion when he named his final 23-man group for the tournament in South Africa.
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Italy 'keeper Buffon blasts WC ball -- 11:32 a.m.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon joined the chorus of players criticizing the World Cup ball.
"Usually you get used to it, but in this case every touch comes with the unknown," Buffon said on Tuesday at the Azzurri's training camp in the Italian Alps. "The trajectory is really unpredictable."
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Mexico star threatens to quit? -- 3:00 a.m.
Giovani Dos Santos is considering quitting Mexico's World Cup squad following the omission of his brother Jonathan, according to the players' father, the London Evening Standard reports.
Jonathan was left out of coach Javier Aguirre's final 23-man party yesterday, prompting a furious reaction from his father, Zizinho, himself a former professional player in South America.
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Serbia cuts goalkeeper Brkic -- 10:40 a.m.
Serbia coach Radomir Antic cut Vojvodina Novi Sad goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic from the final World Cup squad on Tuesday.
Antic took four goalkeepers to a training camp in Austria but decided to leave Brkic out of the 23-man squad that will travel to the tournament in South Africa.
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