Editor William Geldart and the SportEngage team would like to thank our loyal readers for their support.

It is our sad duty to inform you that The Football Blog will cease publication as of today. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, it will no longer be possible to regularly publish and edit the same high-quality and in-depth content that our readers have become accustomed to.

On behalf of myself and former editor, Richard Bourne, we’d like to thank all of our readers and contributors for their continued support throughout the history of the blog. We’ve really enjoyed promoting and facilitating football opinion and discussion, for the fans, by the fans.

From last year’s World Cup, to Champions League finals and various non-league trips, we’ve covered a plethora of news stories from across the footballing pyramid. It has been a pleasure to have been able to deliver our content to a truly global audience and to interact with fans, well-wishers and critics alike.

Even though our weekly Premier League predictions will no longer be published, The Football Blog’s SportGuru Premier League prediction pool will remain active!

We wish all of you reading this message the best for the future.

If you have any favourite memories or articles from the TFB archives, please feel free to share them below!

Yours Sincerely,

William Geldart

Editor

In a poignant reminder of how football can help overcome adversity, Matt Hines revisits the story of F.C Start, the inspiration behind the Escape to Victory film.

We all remember the classic images, where the dream team of Pele and Bobby Moore join up with Rambo, Michael Caine and Ipswich Town’s John Wark to outwit the Gestapo and escape their prisoner of war camp with the aid of the beautiful game.

It is lesser known, however, that the plot of this football classic is in fact based on a true story. This is the story of F.C Start and ‘The Death Match’.

Football in the 1930s had become extremely popular in Eastern Europe, and one of the more successful teams in Ukraine were Dynamo Kiev.

After the German invasion in 1941 however, the national league was cut short, and those players who joined the army, were captured by the Nazis and sent to prisoner of war camps.

In the Spring of 1942, the former Dynamo goalkeeper, Mykola Trusevych was released, and with the support of his boss at Bakery Number 3, set out to find his old team members.

Trusevych found eight former Dynamo players, and, accompanied by three from rivals Lokomotiv Kiev, they began playing local military teams under the name F.C Start.

Following several convincing victories over Hungarian, Romanian and German teams, including a Luftwaffe team known as Flakelf, F.C Start were noticed by the leaders of their German occupiers.

It was seen that the team had become a beacon of hope for the population of the city and it was decided that a rematch would be played between Start and Flakelf and this would be used as a propaganda tool for the Germans who would put out a much stronger team.

The match was held in the Zenit Stadium in Kiev and was refereed by an SS officer. The exact size of the crowd was unknown but it is said that the heavy police presence did not deter the people of Kiev from coming out to support their team against the occupiers.

Before the match the referee entered the Start dressing room and instructed the players to perform the Nazi salute before the match. The Start players, unlike the England team upon their visit to Berlin in 1937, refused, and instead gave their own slogan, which roughly translates as an appraisal of physical strength.

The Start players were certainly aware before the game that it was in their interest to lose the match. Despite this, by half-time their team had come from a goal down to lead 3-1, and the referee returned to ask the players “to think of the consequences” of winning the match.

However, by the end of the game Start led 5-3, and as the crowd went wild, one of the Start players, it is said, dribbled his way through the opposition defense, rounded the German keeper, and rather than slotting the ball home, turned and kicked the ball straight back towards the centre circle. The referee did not even allow the match to reach the 90-minute mark, out of fear of further embarrassment for the Luftwaffe side.

There are numerous myths that surround the events that took place after the game, but it is thought that the team was broken up shortly after and the players were sent to various work camps, such was the regime.

The heroism of these eleven men was seen as a beacon of hope to the people of Kiev throughout the Nazi occupation, and their courage and bravery is commemorated today. In 1981 the Zenit Stadium, still home of Dynamo Kiev was renamed Start Stadium, and a monument was placed, with the inscription:

“For our beautiful presence

They fell in a fight…
For ages your glory won’t fade,
The fearless hero-athletes.”

The playing record of F.C Start reads, played 9, won 9, scored 58 and conceded 10.

The Carling Nations Cup, the round robin tournament which begun last week and is concluding over four days in May, may indeed be a glorified friendly tournament designed to make the Football Association of Ireland some capital to pay off the recently built Aviva Stadium. However, all four managers have something to get out of it. Gary Speed will seek to make his imprint on Wales, Craig Levein and Giovanni Trapattoni will fiddle with tactics and new faces for Scotland and Ireland, and Nigel Worthington will try to find someone to end Northern Ireland’s forward problems. With silverware not something any of the nations are usually within shot of, a trophy will do nicely too. Andrew McCarten picks out four young up and coming players to keep an eye on in the next few months.

Ciaran Clark – Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa

The London-born Villan has been deployed at centre-half, left back, and even defensive midfield so far this year for Houllier’s side, and it was on the left side of defence where he made his senior debut in the 3-0 win over Wales. Formerly a captain of the English U19 side, his switch to the green is seen as a major coup for the Irish. A string of impressive performances for Villa has brought attention from media nationwide, and a brace against Arsenal, as well as a late equalizer against Chelsea, have brought even more plaudits. He prefers centre-half, but the easiest way to break into Trapattoni’s team might be at left back, with Greg Cunningham recovering from a broken leg and Kevin Kilbane aging and now at Huddersfield Town. Should feature in the Irish side when Euro 2012 qualifiers resume in March, and will play a vital part in the fortunes of the West Midlands side for the rest of the season.

Liam Boyce - Northern Ireland and Werder Bremen

The teenage ace from Belfast has been hailed as the talent of a generation for Northern Ireland. Born and bred in Cliftonville’s west Belfast heartland, his first and only term with Cliftonville’s first team saw him score a remarkable 17 goals in just 36 matches (not all starts), including a few crackers. His superb goal-scoring rate, as well as a knack for picking out the killer pass, caught the attention of German giants Werder Bremen, who subsequently fought off attention from Celtic to bring him to the Bundesliga. So far he has featured regularly for the U23 side. It will be hard to break into one of the deepest and most talented sides in the Bundesliga, but at just 19, and already with a senior cap from the 3-0 defeat to Scotland, Boyce could be the next big British personality on the continent.

Andy King – Wales and Leicester City

One of Leicester’s most consistent performers and goal-scorers since becoming a first team regular in the 2008/09 campaign, King has scored 11 goals in all competitions in each of the past two seasons, but is already past that this year with 12 in the league alone. As Sven and the Foxes push for promotion, King has come to the forefront as one of the Championship’s best midfielders, and should be a key figure in Gary Speed’s attempt to revive Wales back into a relevant national side. He earned his 7th cap in the loss against Ireland, but the prospect of King and a healthy Aaron Ramsey playing balls to Gareth Bale on the wing and Craig Bellamy up front certainly gives some cause for optimism. Another hot streak could coincide with Leicester playing Premier League football next year.

Chris Maguire - Scotland and Aberdeen

Despite being only just 22, Maguire already has a wealth of experience playing first team football, scoring as a 17 year old on his debut back on Boxing Day 2006. Each season has brought progressively more starts and goals, and a loan spell at Kilmarnock for the second half of last season provided vital match practice. Firmly entrenched as a regular for Craig Brown’s side, this season has saw him notch 7 goals in all competitions. He was a prolific scorer for the U21s, averaging better than a goal a game, and is best remembered for his stunning strike straight from kick-off against Iceland. With continued confidence from the manager at club level, and Jamie Mackie recovering from a horrendous broken leg, Maguire could find his chance sooner rather than later.

The club vs. country issue is one which has been raising the blood pressure of managers for a number of years now, and feelings are hardly likely to get any more amicable towards the FA following England’s defeat to France in last night’s friendly. Putting aside the insipid performance turned in by Fabio Capello’s men, the key issue emerging from this international break has been the failure of the England set up to properly manage the players whilst they are away from their clubs, with Capello likely to shoulder the majority of the blame.

It is Roy Hodgson who has the most to be concerned about, with Steven Gerrard today being taken for a scan having limped out of the game after 84 minutes with a hamstring injury. Darren Burgess, Liverpool’s head of fitness and conditioning, was not backwards in coming forwards last night, understandably furious that Capello had ignored the club’s request to only play Gerrard for an hour. Via Twitter, he commented: “Completely amateurish and now we pay for their incompetence. Absolutely disgraceful.”

Capello’s explanation for keeping Gerrard on the pitch for longer than agreed was that Gareth Barry had gone off with an ankle problem and that “we needed someone senior on the pitch because it was a really young team”. Had it been the semi-finals of the World Cup, Capello may have got some sympathy for this standpoint. As it was however, it was a friendly game with nothing at stake other than the Italian’s rapidly dwindling reputation, and the damage had already been done by a French side who highlighted a gulf in class.

The ramifications for Capello are negligible – England’s next qualification game isn’t until March – yet for Roy Hodgson they could seriously jeopardise his position as Liverpool manager. His talismanic captain will potentially be out for three to four weeks, during which time his side face a series of tough looking fixtures. Already under a huge amount of pressure following his side’s defeat at Stoke City last weekend, this is an extra issue that he could likely to do without as he tries to fight off calls for his removal from his position at Anfield.

If Gerrard’s injury wasn’t enough, Rio Ferdinand was taken off at half time with a knock, Gareth Barry was withdrawn with the aforementioned ankle injury, Manchester City team mate Joe Hart was injured earlier in the week in training, Phil Jagielka started at right back having not trained all week because of illness, whilst Andy Carroll was played against the wishes of his club, fortunately without any damage done. As the respected Telegraph journalist Henry Winter commented on his Twitter feed: “Carnage. Not sure Capello gets how furious clubs will be”.

So another England friendly has come and gone, and we are left asking: was it all worth it? None of the debutants excelled, a familiar a chorus of boos once again rung around Wembley at the final whistle, and any benefit the team did gain from playing with each other will surely be lost by the time the next qualification game comes round. Until that time, it is the clubs and their managers that have to pick up the pieces from this latest debacle. Capello shouldn’t expect a Christmas card from Hodgson and co.

A few eyebrows were raised when Fabio Capello named Cardiff City’s Jay Bothroyd in his England squad to face France at Wembley. Capello has yet to give any firm indication as to whether Bothroyd will play tomorrow evening, but if he does win his first cap, there are plenty who are suggesting that it will also be his last. Whilst it would be unfair to write off his England career before it has even begun, Bothroyd would not be alone in having failed to make the step up to the international stage.

Recent history is littered with players who have been given the chance to prove their worth with three lions on their chest, yet have come up embarrassingly short. Of these, some have failed to make it to cap number two and as such have the dubious honour of being labelled a ‘one cap wonder’. Whether Bothroyd avoids this particular fate remains to be seen, but if not he will certainly have some competition for the title of England’s least successful player.

Here is a look at some of the players whose international career was almost over before it started, with a second cap never forthcoming:

David White (1992) – It’s easy to forget White’s solitary England appearance in the overall malaise of Graham Taylor’s stint as manager, but it was a night to forget for the Manchester City striker. In the friendly against Spain, White managed to round the keeper and then miss the target before being substituted for Paul Merson.

Neil Ruddock (1994) – ‘Razor’ got the call from Terry Venables for a friendly against Nigeria, with the national side building up to the 1996 European Championships without the rigours of qualification to worry about. Venables had obviously seen enough not to bother offering Ruddock another cap however.

Steve Guppy (1999) – Whilst some might argue the problem has never gone away, back when Kevin Keegan was national manager the lack of decent left sided midfielders was something approaching a national crisis. Guppy was billed as the solution, but Keegan quickly realised he wasn’t: his cap against Belgium was his last.

Seth Johnson (2000) – Shortly before Leeds opted to part with £7 million for his services, Johnson was awarded his solitary England cap against Italy in November 2000. A series of injuries meant just 54 appearances in four seasons for Leeds, before returning to Derby who elected not to renew his contract in 2007.

Michael Ricketts (2002) – Probably the most bizarre of the lot. At a time when Sven Goran Eriksson seemed to be giving out England caps on a whim, Ricketts got his chance in a friendly against the Netherlands. He lasted just 45 minutes before being substituted and his career nosedive shortly afterwards.

Francis Jeffers (2003) – Another failed Eriksson experiment, ‘the fox in the box’ made his only international appearance in the humiliating 3-1 friendly defeat against Australia. Since signing for Arsenal for a staggering £8 million, his career has been in a tailspin and is currently playing in the Australian A-League for the Newcastle Jets.

Anthony Gardner (2004) – There was never any real danger of Gardner dislodging John Terry and Rio Ferdinand at the heart of the England defence, but he got his chance to give it a go when he appeared as a substitute against Sweden. Currently on loan at Crystal Palace, Gardner can probably consider his international career over.

David Nugent (2007) – If Bothroyd does make it out on to the field against France, he will be the first Championship player to represent England since Nugent. The former Preston man did manage to bag a goal against Andorra, but only be slamming home an already goal bound Jermain Defoe effort.

As ever, your thoughts are welcome. Which of the above was the least deserving of their solitary cap? Providing Bothroyd does make an appearance against France tomorrow, will he do enough to prove he deserves another bite at the cherry? Let us know what you think.

Whoever said international friendlies didn’t matter? Before Steven Gerrard’s double salvo to defeat plucky Hungary 2-1 at Wembley, the atmosphere was previously fraught with tension. A chorus of boos echoed around the stadium in reaction to Hungary’s controversial opener, an own goal by Everton’s Phil Jagielka that replays showed did not fully cross the line.

The manner of the victory may have been unconvincing however when England needed a leader, Liverpool’s talisman Gerrard duly stepped up to show the younger Three Lions how to shine for the national team. Indeed, the Liverpool and England captain seemed to revel in the role of pulling his side up by their bootstraps. The equaliser, a sweet dipping shot that gave Hungary ‘keeper Gabor Kiraly no chance, was usurped by a marvellous winning goal. Gerrard received the ball surrounded by opposition players in the penalty area, only to deftly swivel away and surge past his counterparts before neatly prodding the ball past Kiraly from a tight angle.

Manager Fabio Capello had been encouraged to discard some of the ageing members of previous squads who had let the country down in South Africa during the World Cup. His bold selection of youngsters including Arsenal’s Kieron Gibbs and Jack Wilshere attracted praise and consternation in equal measure from those who felt he may have not gone far enough in clearing the decks.

The subsequent international retirements of goalkeeper Paul Robinson, a scored figure in his own mind having previously not been a part of Capello’s plans, and Manchester United’s Wes Brown, summed up a chaotic transitional period for the Italian. Forced into calling up inexperienced goalkeepers Frank Fielding and Scott Loach after Ben Foster’s withdrawal, Capello’s preparations were beginning to seem farcical.

The performance itself was largely unremarkable, played out in front of a tepid Wembley crowd with large swathes of empty seats. Capello and his charges will have to do a lot more to exonerate themselves, a cause that can be helped by winning their upcoming European Championship qualifiers. Bulgaria visit Wembley on Friday 2 September where the re-vamped England team will be hoping to impress in their first competitive match together.

There has been much criticism of Capello, a figure once revered by the media but now portrayed as an ageing statesman lurching from one crisis to the next. No matter the opinion on the manager, now is the time to support the national side again and discard feelings about the old guard, instead looking towards the enterprise of the new.

Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, so often a frustratingly inconsistent performer, was inventive and positive on the right flank. His cross nearly led to a goal, Manchester City’s Adam Johnson blazing over when well placed to score. Refreshingly, the miss didn’t seem to have a great bearing on the game.

England were experimenting with a new style and finding a rhythm again after their wooden displays at the World Cup. Johnson, to his credit, was unperturbed throughout and was unafraid to express himself, even if everything didn’t always come off.

The introduction of Arsenal’s 20 year-old Kieran Gibbs injected fresh enthusiasm on the left-side and whilst Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, 30, is at the opposite end of his career to Gibbs, his fine season last year has been rewarded with inclusion. He was brought on at half-time along with Gibbs, Tottenham defender Michael Dawson and Aston Villa’s Ashley Young. The front-man produced a fine save from Kiraly who was finding himself increasingly busy as he tipped Zamora’s rasping shot over the bar.

Manchester City’s Joe Hart, regarded as the future England number one goalkeeper for many years to come, saved late on to deny Hungary an equaliser.

The change back to 4-4-2 in the second-half stifled England who were playing with a verve not seen since their previous qualifying campaign.

With so much inexperience and a number of debuts, it is no surprise that the side lacked fluency however inspired by Gerrard, they showed hunger and the will to drag themselves and England from its malaise.

Fabio Capello’s untimely comments hinting the end of David Beckham’s international career have attracted more attention and criticism however they are largely irrelevant. Beckham will be forever immortalised as an England icon however even he probably knows that last night was symbolic of the change to the national side. England’s new trailblazers will hope they enjoy the longevity that a player like Beckham has had however their quest has to be for more success as a new era begins in earnest.

By William Geldart

Many players talk about the honour of representing their country when called up to the national side, but for the England players taking to the field for this evening’s friendly against Hungary, it will seem anything but. In fact, it is likely to seem more akin to a public flogging as 60,000 unhappy fans take out their frustration on a group of players who promised so much but delivered so little this summer in South Africa. 

As has been widely acknowledged, the timing of the friendly seems fairly preposterous given the start to the new Premier League is now just days away, as well as the fact that only 45 days have elapsed since England’s World Cup exit at the hands of Germany in Bloemfontein. The wounds are still very raw and the appetite for watching England has yet to return for many, as demonstrated by the 20,000 plus tickets which have gone unsold for this evening’s encounter.

This has hardly been helped by the turn of events since Fabio Capello named his revamped squad (although the jury is out on whether he has gone far enough). Paul Robinson’s announcing his retirement from international football was somewhat of a humiliation for Capello, although few would begrudge the Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper his decision after he rightly came to the conclusion that he was there only as an understudy to Joe Hart and Ben Foster.

However, this was compounded by the same announcement from Wes Brown, who also felt that he had no desire to be a bit part player in the England set up. This is a shocking a indictment of how far Capello and England’s stock has fallen since the World Cup. Previously players were clamouring to play for the much revered Italian, now they are willing to take the draconian measure of announcing their international retirement in order to severe all association with his squad.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, Capello’s authority was further undermined by seeing Michael Carrick start in Sunday’s Community Shield, despite having been told that he was unfit and not available for selection. Furthermore, Ben Foster’s withdrawal from the squad due to injury has meant that the Italian had had to call upon Scott Loach and the little known Frankie Fielding to provide goalkeeping cover, surely two of the more obscure international call ups of recent times.

So can anything be salvaged from this wreckage? Steven Gerrard yesterday acknowledged that fans attending the game had a right to boo the team when they take to the field. Regardless of whether this is right or wrong, it is hardly going to provide an encouraging atmosphere in which Capello’s new look side can flourish. And let’s face it, they need all the practice they can get ahead of the more serious business of qualification for the European Championships.

The likely winners of the evening will probably be those players who played no part in the World Cup matches and are untainted by the team’s failure in the competition. Bobby Zamora should be handed a starting spot with which to prove his international credentials, along with Michael Dawson and Joe Hart who will be keen to show to Capello why they should have been given at least some game time in South Africa.

The young debutants in the squad will likely get their chance to grace the Wembley turf in the second half once the atmosphere has hopefully mellowed somewhat. Whether Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs are ready for a full international debut having not featured regularly for their club side remains to be seen. Is their inclusion a knee jerk reaction by a manager desperate to prove he is doing something different, or do they really have potential at this level?

There should also be a chance for those who came close to claiming a World Cup spot before eventually missing out, which in hindsight they may now be grateful for. Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka will hoping to underline the quality of defensive cover they can provide, Adam Johnson, Ashley Young and Theo Walcott can add some much needed pace and width in midfield, whilst Carlton Cole gets another chance up front, as might Darren Bent have had it not been for injury.

The outcome of this evening’s game is unlikely to have too much of a bearing on Capello’s future, although his head does appear to be very much on the chopping block. A sluggish start to the qualifying campaign is likely to see the FA wield the axe rather sooner than they hoped. Capello needs to show that he has retained the trust and respect of his squad, and that he can rejuvenate performances on the pitch very quickly.

All things considered, most will be happy to see the back of this game. Capello and his players will be on the sharp end of a torrid reception, the fans by all accounts will simply be in attendance to register their disapproval, whilst the players’ club managers will be biting their nails and hoping their charges come through unscathed ahead of the new season. How much can be learnt from it all remains to be seen, although Capello will need to take heed of any lessons very quickly.

Those seeking comfort following last night’s less than convincing England performance need only look at Portugal’s result in Covilha. Held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde, Carlos Queiroz’s men go to the tournament in stone cold form and are heading into a tough group in which they will be competing against Brazil, the Ivory Coast and North Korea for qualification. At this rate, the Koreans will fancy their chances.

Of course, it is dangerous to read too much into the results from pre-tournament friendlies but Portuguese fans will have every right to feel even more worried should their team not perform appreciably better in their two remaining warm up games against Mozambique and Cameroon. Even if they do improve, it’s fair to say that an advance on their fourth place finish in the 2006 tournament is currently a long way off.

For long periods during the qualification campaign, it looked as though Portugal may not make the finals at all. They endured an horrific start in which they won only one of their opening five games. Their improvement in the second half of the qualifying schedule and the routine manner in which they beat Bosnia Herzegovina in the play-offs highlighted the team’s potential, although the fear is that it may prove to be a false dawn.

Following last night’s stalemate against the team FIFA rank 117^th in the world, Queiroz was reeling off the sound bites you would expect from a man who knows time is running out to get his team into shape. “This was a training match. We’ve only been together a few days and you can’t expect too much,” he said. “But we showed the tactical discipline and awareness which I wanted to see.”

Unsurprisingly, much of the focus and expectation is on Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence on the side. Ominously however, the Portuguese captain has rarely produced his club form for the national side and has sought to lessen his burden by warning that he can’t be expected to perform miracles in the tournament. Sadly however, if his side are to make any kind of impact in the tournament, they would appear to need them.

Of course there will be plenty of other teams at the tournament who have the potential to disappoint to the extent Portugal look capable of doing. France and Germany are two other established teams who are enduring difficult pre-tournament build-ups and appear to have lost faith in their coaches, whilst Diego Maradona’s erratic management style and squad selection mean it’s anybody’s guess how well Argentina do.

For now however, the spotlight is on Queiroz’s side following last night’s result. “We’re still at the beginning, we’re still getting ready”, Ronaldo said after the game. “We’re not going to take this draw too badly. By the time we get to South Africa we’ll be better than this”. With their crucial opening game against the Ivory Coast just three weeks away, fans of Selecção das Quinas will be hoping that their captain is as good as his word.

England take on Mexico at Wembley this evening in the first of two warm up games ahead of the their opening World Cup fixture against the USA on 12^th June. Fabio Capello has ruled out playing those who featured in last Saturday’s FA Cup final and has indicated that he will use the game as an opportunity to experiment. For those yet to cement their place in the 23 man squad, this could be their make or break moment. So who should Capello pick?

The Italian has said he is contemplating playing Wayne Rooney as a lone striker, as well as trying out the 3-5-2 formation which appears to have come into his plans. In would not be a surprise to see Capello try to experiment with both options in one evening, so expect to see extensive changes made at the half time interval. Based on a starting formation involving Rooney up front by himself, here is The Football’s Blog starting XI for this evening’s game:

Joe Hart – Deserves the chance to prove himself and Capello will want to understand whether he is a credible option as first choice goalkeeper, in a position in which the Italian appears genuinely undecided about.

Jamie Carragher – Eyebrows continued to be raised at the inclusion of the Liverpool defender as the only cover at right back. Needs the opportunity to prove the doubters wrong and reacquaint himself with the rigours of an international fixture.

Rio Ferdinand – He is the captain and supposedly an automatic starter, although if it was based on form and consistency this season then he would be nowhere near the team. Needs to prove to Capello he can be relied upon.

Ledley King – Can England really afford to take a centre half who can hardly train and is susceptible to breaking down at any time? This could be the litmus test for King, although Michael Dawson certainly deserves a half.

Leighton Baines – It would appear to be one out of two between Baines and Stephen Warnock to make the final squad, with the Everton man considered the front runner. Could cement his place with a good showing tonight.

Aaron Lennon – Assumed to be Capello’s first choice on the right, although has only just returned from injury and needs to prove it has not had an adverse affect. May only get 45 minutes, with Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips also desperate to prove themselves.

James Milner – In the absence of Gareth Barry, the holding midfielder position needs to be resolved. Milner is almost certain to go to South Africa, but has failed to nail down a position of his own owing to his versatility. This could be his chance.  

Michael Carrick – May be handed Frank Lampard’s role for this evening. The Manchester United man’s position in the 23 is by no means guaranteed, but would do his chances no harm with a decent display in this position tonight.

Steven Gerrard – Should be relieved of duties on the left hand side of midfield and asked to support Rooney up front. Gerrard has had a mediocre season in Liverpool colours and needs to show he still has a key part to play.

Adam Johnson – With Joe Cole being rested, Johnson deserves his chance on the left following the form he showed at Manchester City this season and some apparently impressive training displays with England.

Wayne Rooney – Virtually the whole nation will be hoping and praying that Rooney can come through this encounter unscathed. The lone front man role is one he played for United for much of the season, hopefully he can reproduce in England colours.

Whilst Capello has said he already he is almost certain who will be in his 23-man, there is still much for him to consider. His starting XI and formation are still unclear, so it remains to be seen how much the proposed experimentation will affect his decision. Regardless, he will be hoping for no more injury headaches on a widely criticised Wembley surface which has proved to be slippery and dangerous in recent weeks.

Who would you play in this evening’s game? Do all the fringe players deserve the chance to impress? As ever, let us know your thoughts and enjoy the game.

England’s preparations for this summer’s World Cup begin this week when they host Egypt in a friendly at Wembley. Fabio Capello only has a few warm-up games to prepare for England’s opening group C fixture against Slovenia on June 23, and this week’s friendly will provide an opportunity for England’s stars to cement their places in the starting line-up for that match.

There are a few positions in Capello’s first choice eleven which remain up for grabs.

It will be particularly interesting to see if David James is handed his first international start in almost a year.

James was widely thought to be Capello’s first choice goalkeeper until a string of injuries limited his international chances to just one substitute appearance this season.

However, the Pompey keeper has been in tremendous form since returning for his club and will relish the chance to prove himself as England’s number one once again.

The news of Ashley Cole’s broken ankle was a real blow for England fans and it remains unclear whether the Chelsea star will be fit for the beginning of this summer’s tournament.

Wayne Bridge and Stephen Warnock are both in the frame to take over from Cole at left-back next week and will each be hoping for the chance to impress the England manager against the African Nation Champions.

Another area of interest is which striker will be chosen to partner Wayne Rooney at the head of England’s attack.

Jermaine Defoe continues to bang in the goals for Tottenham but Capello still seems to prefer Emile Heskey as a foil for the Manchester United star.

The game would have been Rio Ferdinand’s first since taking over as England skipper earlier this month, but injury again rules him out with Steven Gerrard being given the armband.

Ferdinand’s form at international level has been shaky in recent times so he would have been hoping for the opportunity to produce a solid performance leading England’s back-line as captain.

England’s opponents were desperately unlucky not to qualify for this year’s finals themselves.

Egypt finished with an identical record to Algeria at the top of their qualifying group but lost their tiebreak play-off 1-0 last November.

They remain one of the strongest African teams and will provide a stern test for Capello’s side.

They have few household names with most of their squad hailing from the Egyptian league but have maintained a strong work ethic under manager Head Coach Hassan Shehata.

Hull City striker Amir Zaki and West Ham forward Mido have been on the fringes of the squad of late but were both overlooked for this year’s African Cup Of Nations Tournament.

Joe Elvin