Bridge quits England: who should take his place?

In what must be considered a selfless and somewhat bold move, Wayne Bridge has made himself unavailable for selection for England in the wake of John Terry’s affair with his ex-girlfriend. Whilst few can blame Bridge, and some might say it should have been Terry who made the sacrifice, he has left Fabio Capello with another unwanted selection headache.

Calling the situation ‘untenable and potentially divisive’, Bridge’s decision is another blow to a defence already weakened through injury. With doubts over whether Ashley Cole will recover in time for the World Cup in South Africa this summer, Capello faces the prospect of turning to his third choice left back to fill the void. But who is that exactly?

Leading contenders would appear to be Leighton Baines or Stephen Warnock, although both crucially lack international experience. Baines has never represented the senior side, whilst Warnock’s involvement has been limited to about eight minutes of game time. However, both have been in impressive form for their clubs this season.

Other options would involve asking a player to play out of position. The left back position is not unknown to Joleon Lescott, although his preference is at the centre of defence and he has had a poor season at Manchester City. Gareth Barry and James Milner can also adapt to this position, but using them at left back is to deprive the midfield of two of its leading talents.

Who do you think should get the nod? It may all become a bit clearer when Capello names his squad for the friendly against Egypt. Baines certainly deserves the opportunity to prove himself and Warnock will also be disappointed if he does not get the chance to impress. However, although disliked on a personal level, from a footballing perspective most of the nation will be hoping for Ashley Cole to make a quick recovery.