Depending on which doctor you listen to, Wayne Rooney could be back from a broken metatarsal in time for England’s World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 10. But with or without the Manchester United striker, the English still remain the favorites to finish on top of Group B that includes Sweden, Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago. Only complacency and a crippling injury list stand between England and a place in the World Cup second round after a favourable draw.

Group B

England — FIFA World Ranking: 10th

Qualified for World Cup: finished 1st in European Zone Group 6

Sports Interaction odds to win World Cup: +1100, 11/1

Coach Sven Goran Eriksson is taking another star-studded squad into battle in Germany. Newcastle striker Michael Owen (77 caps/36 goals) is one of the premier goal scorers in the world, and midfielder David Beckham (89 caps/16 goals) can produce magic any time he touches the ball. England has one of the deepest defenses in the tournament, with Sol Campbell (68 caps), Gary Neville (79 caps), Ashley Cole (46 caps) and Rio Ferdinand (47 caps) ready to go. If injured superstar striker Wayne Rooney is able to play, the English squad could be very tough to beat.

Paraguay — FIFA World Ranking: 33rd

Qualified for World Cup: finished 4th in South American Zone

Sports Interaction odds to win World Cup: +2900, 29/1

Paraguay, which finished 4th in the South American Zone qualifications, has advanced past the group stage in the last two finals, and it hopes to repeat that success in this year’s tournament. Team captain Carlos Gamarra (106 caps) anchors the defense, while strikers Jose Cardozo (82 caps/25 goals) and Roque Santa Cruz (42 caps/13 goals) are players to watch on offense. Paraguay enters the World Cup with a ton of confidence after beating Argentina 1-0 at home and holding it to a 0-0 draw in Buenos Aires.

Trinidad and Tobago — FIFA World Ranking: 47th

Qualified for World Cup: finished 4th in North/Central America & Caribbean Zone

Sports Interaction odds to win World Cup: +6700, 67/1

Former Manchester United player Dwight Yorke (54 caps/15 goals) and goal-scoring machine Stern John (95 caps/65 goals) lead a talented but inexperienced Trinidad and Tobago squad into group play. If 37-year-old forward Russell Latapy (66 caps/28 goals) can return to form, and if LA Galaxy forward Glen Cornell (35 caps/11 goals) can step up and produce, Trinidad and Tobago could make life difficult for its opponents.

Sweden — FIFA World Ranking: 16th

Qualified for World Cup: finished T-1st in European Zone Group 8

Sports Interaction odds to win World Cup: +2100, 21/1

Sweden is making its 11th appearance in the World Cup finals and boasts a squad that could advance far into the tournament. Strikers Henrik Larsson (89 caps/35 goals) and Zlatan Ibrahimovich (38 caps/18 goals) are a powerful 1-2 punch up front, while Teddy Lucic (81 caps) and Olaf Mellberg (64 caps) are solid defenders. Sweden’s offensive firepower isn’t what it could be, as star striker Freddie Ljungberg (57 caps/12 goals) is battling a foot injury. Barring an upset, Sweden should advance through the group stage.

World Cup Group B Prediction: England to top Group B; Sweden to place second.

Related: FIFA World Cup Betting Tips, World Cup Picks, World Cup Soccer Stories and Rumors

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 8th, 2006 at 7:38 am and is filed under 2010 FIFA World Cup, 2010 World Cup Betting Tips and Picks, England, Paraguay, Soccer News, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.