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Who will Capello choose?

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 20/12/2009
Football betting

We are now just six months away from the start of the 19th World Cup finals in South Africa and, as ever, England are already being predicted to be in the reckoning for glory.

It will be 44 years in the summer since England's World Cup finals success on home soil and this fact will be hammered home in the lead-up to the showpiece event that begins on June 11.

The following day England open up their challenge against USA in what, on paper, looks to be the toughest game in the group.

With contests against Algeria and Slovenia to follow, Fabio Capello's men should ease through.

Many pundits are now beginning to wonder which 23-men should make the plane.

The shrewd Italian coach will no doubt have many seats already occupied but there are still opportunities for a few to squeeze their way into his plans.

Seeing as everyone is entitled to their opinion, here is who we think should make the long-haul flight next year on current form.

Capello is expected to take three goalkeepers to South Africa and this could prove to be a problem.

David James is surely a lost cause and that leaves a distinct lack of experienced shot-stoppers to call on.

But with Blackburn Rovers' Paul Robinson finding form, he could regain the number-one jersey with West Ham United's Robert Green deputising and Manchester City's Joe Hart, who is on-loan at Birmingham City, third in line.

Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole should be the first-choice full-backs on either side of the pitch and usual suspects Wes Brown and Wayne Bridge would be in reserve.

As for the heart of the defence, we can't see past Chelsea man John Terry, who will lead the way for his country.

Rio Ferdinand's erratic form wouldn't see him miss out altogether but it would see him settle for a place on the bench.

Joleon Lescott is beginning to shine at Manchester City and he should start with Matthew Upson in support.

Choosing a midfield with such a vast array of quality is a difficult task.

However, despite the notion that Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard can't play together, they should be sitting at the front of the plane with Capello.

Either side of them should be Gareth Barry and Aaron Lennon, who have been in impressive form for Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

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James Milner, Ashley Young, David Beckham and Michael Carrick would make for an imposing engine room arsenal.

Up top would see 12-goal Premier League hit-man Jermain Defoe partner Wayne Rooney, without question, and the Manchester United sensation is the online sportsbook favourite to top score for England in South Africa.

Gabriel Agbonlahor and Peter Crouch would offer a combination of explosive pace and lofty annoyance from the bench, hopefully to England's advantage.

Notable absentees as things stand include Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jermaine Jenas, Darren Bent, Phil Jagielka, Stephen Warnock, Theo Walcott, Carlton Cole, Emile Heskey and Joe Cole but, with several of these injured, returning from injury or not quite doing enough in our eyes, it would be foolish to rule these out at this early stage.

Our starting eleven: Robinson - Johnson, A. Cole, Terry (c), Lescott - Lennon, Gerrard, Lampard, Barry - Defoe, Rooney.

Substitutes: Green, Hart, Upson, Ferdinand, Brown, Bridge, Milner, Young, Beckham, Carrick, Agbonlahor, Crouch.

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