England coach Fabio Capello's World Cup plans have been buoyed by Gareth Barry's recovery from an ankle injury, which has progressed quicker than expected. The England manager delayed his verdict on Barry's involvement in the World Cup pending the midfielder's prognosis, and hopes to make a decision tomorrow, reports The Guardian.

"The tests and scans of two days ago say that his ankle is doing well, much better than what we had thought," Capello said. "Most importantly, it looks as if the recovery times will be much shorter.

"We'll wait until the end of this week, then we'll decide if Barry will or won't play in the World Cup, but we are very hopeful."

For more World Cup news, go to www.worldcup.tribalfootball.com