It's Fab facing all our friends

By Mirror Football in Mirror Football Blog

Published 14:29 30/01/10

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Fabio Capello’s England will come face to face with plenty of familiar faces this summer with over 100 non-English Premier League players heading out to South Africa.

Liverpool’s Fernando Torres heads a roll-call of stars that will ensure that just about every game in the tournament will have a strong connection with the top-flight.

Raymond Domenech’s France side is likely to have the strongest English influence with a nine–strong Premier League contingent that potentially includes six players – William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, Samir Nasri and Mikael Silvestre – from Arsenal alone.

Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel is the stand-out player among Nigeria’s eight Premier League players, a total that could be matched by the number of Australia’s English-based exiles.

There are unlikely to be any surprises in store for either side when Capello’s side kick-off their tournament against USA who could include up to six Premier league regulars in their line-up.

Ironically, Slovenia – England’s opponents in their final Group C game – are one of the few competing nations not expected to boast a Premier League player amongst their ranks. Not that the Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek will be short of insider information - after all, he will have West Brom's Robert Koren among his ranks.

The Premier League stars who could be going to the World Cup:
Arsenal
Alexandre Song (Cameroon), Nicklas Bendtner (Denmark), William Gallas, Bacary Sagna, Mikael Silvestre, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, Samir Nasri (all France),  Emmanuel Eboué (Ivory Coast), Carlos Vela (Mexico), Johan Djourou (Switzerland), Denilson (Brazil), Robin van Persie (Holland), Manuel Almunia, Cesc Fabregas (both Spain).

Aston Villa
Shane Lowry (Australia), Brad Guzan (America), Carlos Cuellar (Spain).

Blackburn Rovers
Brett Emerton (Australia), Vince Grella (Australia), Lars Jacobsen (Denmark), Ryan Nelsen (New Zealand), Michel Salgado (Spain).

Bolton
Aaron Mooy (Australia), Danny Shittu (Nigeria), Lee Chung-Yong (South Korea).

Burnley
Andre Bikey (Cameroon).

Chelsea
Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka (both France), Michael Essien (Chelsea), Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba (both Ivory Coast), Mikel John Obi (Nigeria), Jose Bosingwa, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco (all Portugal), Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic (both Serbia), Marek Stoch (Slovakia), Alex, Juliano Belletti (both Brazil), Michael Ballack (Germany).

Everton
Tim Cahill (Australia), Joseph Yobo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Victor Anichebe (all Nigeria), Tim Howard (America), John Heitinga (Holland), Mikel Arteta (Spain), Philippe Senderos (Switzerland)

Fulham
Mark Schwarzer (Australia), Richard Garcia (Australia), John Paintsil (Ghana), Dickson Etuhu (Nigeria), Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson (both America).

Hull
Kamel Ghilas (Algeria), Seyi Olofinjana (Nigeria), Jozy Altidore (America), Geovanni (Brazil), George Boateng, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (both Holland),

Liverpool
Daniel Agger (Denmark), Sotiros Kyrgiakos (Greece), Martin Skrtel (Slovakia), Emiliano Insua, Javier Mascherano, Maxi Rodriguez (all Argentina), Lucas Leiva, Fabio Aurelio (both Brazil), Alberto Aquilani, Andrea Dossena (both Italy), Ryan Babel, Dirk Kuyt (both Holland), Pepe Reina, Albert Riera, Fernando Torres Daniel Sanchez Ayala (all Spain).

Manchester City
Kolo Touré (Ivory Coast), Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay), Vladimir Weiss (Slovakia), Carlos Tevez, Pablo Zabaleta (both Argentina), Robinho (Brazil), Jo (Brazil), Nigel De Jong (Holland), Javier Garrido (Spain).

Manchester United
Patrice Evra (France), Nani (Portugal), Zoran Tosic, Nemanja Vidic (Serbia), Park Ji-Sung (South Korea), Anderson Fabio da Silva, Rafael da Silva (all Brazil), Edwin van der Sar (Holland, but has technically retired from international football)

Portsmouth
Nadir Belhadj (Algeria), Hassan Yebda (Algeria), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana or Germany), Angelos Basinas (Greece), Aruna Dindane (Ivory Coast), Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria).

Stoke
Thomas Sorensen (Denmark), Diego Arismendi (Uruguay), Robert Huth (Germany).

Sunderland
 John Mensah (Ghana), Paulo da Silva (Paraguay), Boudewijn Zenden (Holland).

Spurs
Sebastien Bassong (Cameroon), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Cameroon), Wilson Palacios (Honduras), Giovani dos Santos (Mexico), Heurelho Gomes (Brazil).

West Ham
Guillermo Franco (Mexico), Luis Boa Morte (Portugal), Valon Behrami (Switzerland), Jonathan Spector (America).

Wigan
Richard Kingson (Ghana), Hendry Thomas, Maynor Figueroa (both Honduras), Cho Won-Hee (South Korea), Mario Melchiot, Daniel De Ridder (both Holland), Jordi Gomez (Spain).

Wolves
Nenad Milijas (Serbia), Marcus Hahnemann (America).

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