Next Wednesday at Wembley stadium, England officially kicks off it’s countdown to the World Cup tournament in South Africa with a preparation friendly against 10th-ranked Egypt. This game will mark the final time manager Fabio Capello gets one last look at his squad in competition before he announces his pre-World Cup squad in May. With several players injured currently, Capello chose to include several new faces in his group for Wednesday’s game including Ryan Shawcross, unfortunately involved in that horror tackle that broke Aaron Ramsey’s leg on Saturday, and the left full back pair Leighton Baines and Stephen Warnock. Man City goalkeeper Joe Hart is also included as his performances on loan with Birmingham City have pushed him ahead of Paul Robinson and Ben Foster in the pecking order to make the 3rd goalkeeper’s spot.

Joe Hart

Following this friendly, World Cup managers will have their eye on the first couple of weeks in May as they are required to name a 27-man preliminary squad for the finals from which a final 23-man squad is selected to make the plane for South Africa. Discussion has been rampant as we have moved closer to the May deadline as to who will make it and who won’t. Below are my selections for the 27-man roster based on current injury reports and other criteria. Remember, this is a squad I would pick and not one that I think Capello will choose. The Italian has already stated that he will not pick players who are unfit and have not been playing regularly for their club teams. I’m not sure how closely he will stick to those guidelines as some important squad members would be omitted automatically. Only time will tell.

GOALKEEPERS
David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham), Joe Hart (Man City)

FULL BACKS
Wes Brown (Man Utd), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton
Baines (Everton)

CENTER BACKS
Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Micah Richards (Man City)

MIDFIELDERS
Gareth Barry (Man City), James Milner (Aston Villa), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Michael Carrick (Man Utd), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)

FORWARDS
Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Jermaine Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Peter Crouch (Tottenham), Michael Owen (Man Utd), Bobby Zamora (Fulham)

In picking any squad for a tournament such as the World Cup, I think the main considerations have to include match fitness, physical fitness, experience, and position flexibility. I have used these criteria in making my choices and that is why James Milner, Wes Brown and Micah Richards have been included as they have played regularly across the back four on their club sides so giving the squad more options in defense should injuries become a factor. Injuries are to be expected and so suitable cover has to be provided for key positions which explains my inclusion of Michael Owen as cover for Wayne Rooney.

David Beckham makes my squad as he is just too valuable at set-pieces and with his passing, coupled with Capello’s style of using a big front man, I can’t see leaving him at home. Carlton Cole is omitted in favor of Bobby Zamora as I can’t ignore the Fulham striker’s contribution to his side’s success in the Premier League this season.

My biggest concern is in choosing Emile Heskey. Ordinarily he wouldn’t make my ‘B’ squad as he doesn’t play regularly for his club Aston Villa, and has a horrible goals per game ratio, but he is highly regarded by Capello simply because of his importance to Wayne Rooney, who then is free to play off the big man and becomes a more serious threat. I would prefer to have Zamora up front as he has Heskey’s size and is a more prolific scorer.

Bobby Zamora

One player I haven’t chosen because of injury problems is Owen Hargreaves. One of my favorites, the Man Utd midfielder was England’s most valuable player at the 2006 World Cup but he has had a long battle against tendinitis in his knees and has been out of action for almost two years now. He is still not fit and Capello’s rule of “you have to be fit to play” suggests that Hargreaves’ recovery will come just a month or two too late. It’s an awful shame as he runs his legs off for England, and would fill the right back spot nicely but it looks grim for him at this point.

One fear I have is that many of the players that will make the squad have little or no international experience playing for the full senior squad. England have one of the strongest starting line-ups in the field but there is a serious drop off in caps when you look at some of the back up players. Out of the group shown above, only 17 players can be considered veterans with the other 10 having 5 caps or less at the top level. Capello is a coach who relies on his tried and trusted group and may be reluctant to blood new talent in such an important tournament.

Owen Hargreaves

In concluding, I do have an optimistic view of England’s chances in June. Fabio Capello reminds me in many ways of Herb Brooks, legendary coach of the US Men’s Ice hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics after beating the mighty Soviet team in the semi-finals. Both coaches are meticulous perfectionists and are intense disciplinarians. They both share the same beliefs that the team’s chemistry far outweighs any other player concerns. Ironically, both coaches also had bad experiences as players in prior tournaments at which they were to go on to coach. Brooks was one of the final players cut from the USA squad before the 1960 Olympic Hockey tournament and to his dying day always said that it was his most disappointing experience.

Similarly, Capello was a member of the Italian team that so under-achieved at the 1974 World Cup in Germany. Capello has stated that serious shortcomings within the management of that squad led to a woeful performance by the team. On returning to Italy, that squad was treated with ferocious contempt and Capello has never forgotten that. Brooks used his experience to galvanize his squad for 1980 and I fully expect Capello to do the same.

Lots of water will flow under the bridge before the final squad boards the plane to South Africa but it all starts in earnest on Wednesday.