England Squad Preview: Three Lions Face Spanish Test

Next Wednesday sees England travelling to Seville to face European Champions Spain in a friendly match. Ignoring the controversy of the tie and its venue for now, Capello’s squad selection could throw up a few surprises with Carlton Cole amongst those hotly tipped for a call-up.

So who, exactly, should we expect to be selected for England’s first match of 2009? 

In the goalkeeping department, David James and Scott Carson were given a half each in England’s last match in Germany, with highly-contrasting fortunes. The former will easily return his place while the latter will be sweating, having given the Germans an equaliser during that encounter in Munich.

Carson’s club form has also dipped recently with high-profile errors during matches against Aston Villa and Manchester United. Joe Hart had to pull out of the squad for the Germany game but will almost certainly return this time out having been left out of the Under-21 squad named yesterday.

This could be Hart’s last opportunity for a while after Shay Given’s arrival at Eastlands which will surely severely limit his playing time.

Paul Robinson replaced Hart last time out and will challenge with Carson for the third goalkeeping berth. Chris Kirkland and Rob Green will be hopeful but not expectant of getting the call. 

On defense, shock selection Michael Mancienne has returned to the Under-21 squad, along with Manchester City’s Micah Richards who has been struggling for form for most of the season. Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole will return to the set-up after missing the victory in Munich through injury.

They will join the back four from that win (Johnson, Terry, Upson and Bridge), leaving two spaces left. Joleen Lescott and Curtis Davies filled these in November’s squad and will most likely compete with Phil Jagielka, who is in superb form recently, for the remaining spots.

Wes Brown has only made two substitute appearances after four months out and the game probably comes too soon for him. Teammate Gary Neville is still yet to prove he has returned to the form which won him 85 caps and would seem a long shot.

Jonathon Woodgate is another who will be reliant on injuries to force his way into the squad.  

At midfield, Capello recently traveled back home to check on a certain David Beckham’s form since his loan move to AC Milan and the former captain’s bright start will justify his return to the national squad. He should take Theo Walcott’s place, the Arsenal player still a few weeks away from a return, having been injured in training before the friendly match in Munich.

Gerrard and Lampard both pulled out injured for that match but will return, assuming they come through this weekend’s matches unscathed. Jimmy Bullard and Scott Parker took their places that time but will be hard-pressed to keep them while Jermaine Jenas’ injuries have seen him limited to substitute appearances since the turn of the year. 

Aaron Lennon and James Milner have been named in the Under-21 squad and David Bentley looks set to miss out again with the chosen wide players expected to be Downing, Wright-Phillips and Young as last time.

Joe Cole is out for the rest of the season having ruptured his cruciate ligament against Southend United in the FA Cup and joins Owen Hargreaves on the long-term injury list.

Jermain Defoe’s latest injury means he will join Dean Ashton, Michael Owen and probably Wayne Rooney on the sidelines. Rooney has only just returned to training following three weeks out and Sir Alex Ferguson will most likely hold him back from national duty.

Emile Heskey will return after injury ruled him out of the Germany game and he will most likely be paired with new teammate Gabriel Agbonlahor up front. This leaves Peter Crouch, Darren Bent and the in-form Carlton Cole to battle it out for the remaining places in the squad. Fulham’s Andy Johnson is a further, although less likely, option.

Who do you think should make the squad? And what balance should Capello strike between experimentation and getting a result?