Glen Johnson's Exit from England Squad Exposes Capello's Problem Position

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Glen Johnson was forced to withdraw from the England squad yesterday as Fabio Capello’s side prepare to take on Brazil in Doha on Saturday.

Johnson played the full 90 minutes against Birmingham City on Monday night after missing three of the previous four matches through injuries and linked up with the England camp on Tuesday.

However, Johnson has since returned to Liverpool after having been assessed by the England medical staff.

The Liverpool player’s withdrawal leaves Fabio Capello with only one recognised right-back in the shape of Wes Brown, who in fact performed impressively at centre-back for Manchester United in their defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

Brown has not featured for England since October 2008 having endured an injury-ravaged past year but has been injury-free for the past few months and has returned to the Manchester United first team, making nine appearances so far this season.

It has been reported that Capello has opted not to call-up an additional player to replace Johnson at this stage, leaving England with a 22-man squad, two men down on his original selection with David Beckham also having been forced out due to club commitments in MLS.

Competition for the right-back position appears thin on the ground and Capello looks certain to go to South Africa with Johnson and Brown as his options on the right-hand side of defence, having opted to not even have a look at any of the alternatives.

Gary Neville, England’s most capped right-back, was recalled for the World Cup Qualifiers in June but did not feature on the pitch, meaning that it is now almost three years since his last cap.

Micah Richards, meanwhile, has been left in England Under-21 squad for their two matches next week. Having recently lost his place in the Manchester City side to Pablo Zabaleta, Richards is still yet to win a cap under Capello having won eleven under the Italian’s predecessor Steve McClaren.

Luke Young is the only other right-back selected by Capello, but is no longer an option after retiring from international play

For Saturday’s match against Brazil it looks likely that Capello will rely on either James Milner or Shaun Wright-Phillips to cover the right-back position in case of injury to Brown, who is now certain to start.

Wright-Phillips appeared at right-back for quarter of an hour against Kazakhstan in Almaty in June whilst Milner filled in at left-back as a substitute in England’s most recent match against Belarus last month.

Ironically, Milner looks set to start on the left of midfield against Brazil in place of the injured Steven Gerrard, his workrate perhaps being key to tracking the opposition right-back, the ever-dangerous Maicon, on that side of the pitch.

The Aston Villa winger’s hardwork and versatility have greatly impressed the England manager and at present he looks like a good bet to be on the plane to South Africa due to his ability to perform effectively in a number of positions.

A good performance against Brazil on Saturday night could just about guarantee his presence at the World Cup next summer.

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