FIFA World Cup 2014: Arsenal Midfielder a Major Doubt after Injuring Knee in Ecuador Friendly

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a major doubt for the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, after the Arsenal midfielder injured his knee in the friendly, which was far from friendly, against Ecuador in Miami.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was forced off just past the hour mark, after Ecuador's Carlos Gruezo tackled the youngster's right foot, before rolling over his leg while exaggerating the incident.

The midfielder was substituted immediately by manager Roy Hodgson, and while the Arsenal man was walking fine right after the tackle, he was seen hobbling off while leaving the stadium in Miami, raising concerns of whether he would be fit for the World Cup, with England's first match of the tournament in just 10 days' time.

"We have our fears there might be some ligament damage," Hodgson was quoted as saying by the BBC on Oxlade-Chamberlain's condition.

"His knee buckled under the challenge as the player turned into him. He'll have a scan, I'd imagine. When we've had the scan, we'll know more."

Oxlade-Chamberlain missed the final part of the English Premier League season with a groin injury and his fitness was a concern coming into the World Cup. Having lost another Arsenal man in Theo Walcott to injury already, Hodgson will be worried about having to do without another player comfortable on the right wing.

There were a couple of other injury scares during the 2-2 draw against Ecuador as well, with Jack Wilshere, also of Arsenal, and Southampton left-back Luke Shaw taken off in the second half. Hodgson, though, allayed any fears over the fitness of the two players.

"It was cramp," Hodgson confirmed. "We took them off for those reasons alone."

Hodgson will not quite know what to make of the 2-2 result, with Wayne Rooney cancelling out Enner Valencia's early goal, before a Rickie Lambert strike made it 2-1 for England. Michael Arroyo levelled things up again for Ecuador in the 70^th minute, before Raheem Sterling and Antonio Valencia, of Liverpool and Manchester United respectively, saw red after a tangle.

"Rooney and [stand-in captain Frank] Lampard I thought were immense," Hodgson said. "It's hot out there, they have got a lot of young players around them and I thought they really showed their maturity and we saw the benefit of that.

"That proves to me as well that we have a balance between experience and youth and I shall go away from today's game relatively happy."

It was an experimental lineup put out by Hodgson, with the young players shining, as Ross Barkley, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Phil Jones and Wilshere all staked their claims for a starting berth in for the World Cup.

"I will be prepared to start any of the players in any game," Hodgson said. "I think Ross Barkley had some good moments. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Phil Jones were outstanding, as was Jack Wilshere in the middle of the park, while Rickie Lambert scored a magnificent goal."