And with England regular Barry doubtful for the start of the tournament due to an ankle injury that is set to take at least four weeks to heal, Capello may look to add extra midfield cover to his squad.

BBC: Scott Parker worth a World Cup spot - Gianfranco Zola

But whether the idea of Italy's debt being "mutualised" (or shared with German taxpayers) via some kind of shield provided by the IMF will appeal to the German parliament and German central bank - which are set against any such central-bank lending to any eurozone member state - seems highly doubtful.

BBC: Cheer up: It could be much worse

Doubtful about the accuracy of Mr. Hornsby's data, Mr. Berger checked it against the NFL data set and found Pro Football Focus was nearly perfect.

WSJ: In Super Bowl, Giants Go Long for a Number Cruncher

Those who doubt the UK government's case, set out on Tuesday, for building a line between London and Birmingham are going to be even more doubtful about the benefits of a colossally expensive link to help out the potential foreigners north of Gretna.

BBC: Going bananas for speedy rail