Chelsea full-back Wayne Bridge's hopes of making England's World Cup squad have been boosted after he completed a loan move to Fulham.
Bridge, a £7million signing from Southampton in July 2003, has fallen behind Asier Del Horno and William Gallas in the pecking order for the left-back spot after spending eight months out with a broken ankle last year.
The 25-year-old was conscious his inactivity at Stamford Bridge - he has played just twice this season, in the League and FA Cups - was harming his chances of making Sven-Goran Eriksson's final squad.
Therefore, he has made the temporary move to Craven Cottage until the end of the summer in order to gain some first-team action.
"I'm really happy to join Fulham for the remainder of the season," he said. "The next few months is an incredibly important period for me to be playing regular football, as I would obviously love to be part of the manager' (Eriksson's) plans for the World Cup.
"Fulham is a nice club with a great atmosphere, but most importantly they play good football under Chris Coleman and although I did have other choices offered to me, this seemed to be the best option for me at this time."
