Speculation on Davies World Cup chances runs rampant

Another day of Charlie Davies headlines but there is little substance to back them up

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Reports emerged from France this morning that U.S. forward
Charlie Davies has lost his battle to get back to fitness in time for the 2010
World Cup.

An Agence France Presse (AFP) report on Tuesday morning
cited medical staff at French club Sochaux. FIFA.com posted the report under
the headline: “Davies Loses Fitness Battle.” Sky Sports published a three-graph story "Davies' WC Dream Over" stating that Sochaux confirmed the news. 

However, U.S. Soccer spokesperson Michael Kammarman said that the
U.S. National Team’s position had not changed with respect to the Davies
situation.

“We’re continuing to monitor Charlie’s progress and the
coaching staff will make decision about his availability for training camp by
May 11,” he told MLSsoccer.com.

Sochaux club officials referred MLSsoccer.com to an update
in France’s national sports daily L’Equipe, which actually leaves the door open for a possible World Cup return.

L’Equipe cites a comment by Sochaux’s athletic
trainer Cédric Blomme as told to AFP: “I don’t want to be pessimistic. Davies
has come a long way and has progressed day by day. It is encouraging and we
just need to wait. You can’t say it’s impossible. It [making the World Cup]
would be important for him and the club. There is a list of 30 players which is
going to be submitted and he could be in there. It remains to be seen how he
evolves.”

The report by L’Equipe reiterated that Sochaux staff
have determined that Davies will not return to full fitness in time for the
final matches of the French Ligue 1 season.

"We don’t know where it come from," Sochaux spokesman Stijn
Slaats told MLSsoccer.com in reference to the original AFP article which cited Sochaux sources.
"Apparently it first appeared in an article and then we started
to call people to find out how and from which sources this came. Then they [L'Equipe] spoke
to
our athletic trainer and they [L'Equipe] revisited their article."

U.S. Soccer confirmed that head trainer Ivan Pierra was in France last week
to evaluate Davies and has since returned to the United States. There has been
no word yet on what Pierra might report back to the U.S. coaching staff.

Sochaux also said that a U.S. physical trainer visited the club on Thursday and Friday.

"I can't come to any conclusion about the things he's going to report to Mr. Bradley or the U.S. Soccer staff," Slaats said.

Slaats confirmed that Davies is not on the squad list for Wednesday's
Ligue 1 match. There will be two league fixture dates remaining over the
next two weekends.

He also said that the American striker is
still conducting an individual training program while also training with
the full team.

Davies himself chimed in via Twitter saying: "Everyone I'm still progressing and happy with my progress. I am very fortunate to NOT have had any setbacks. My eye is still on the prize!! ... Thank you for the continued support. Just BELIEVE! God Bless." 

The 23-year-old was involved in a fatal car accident on Oct. 13 and has
since been working on recovering from multiple injuries.