Euro Football 2012 Qualifiers: Predicting the England Lineup to Face Wales
This weekend, England returns to their European Championship qualifying campaign since the 0-0 draw with Montenegro in October, with a trip across the Severn Bridge.
It is important that Fabio Capello picks the 11 best players at his disposal, and I have offered my thoughts on those in the frame for the starting roles as well as challengers who could quite conceivably earn a call-up.
The Millennium Stadium is the next port of call for England competitively, and Wales will provide a formidable opposition, although the Three Lions will be expected to come home with all three points safely in their back pocket.
England currently sit in second place in Group D, while Wales are rock bottom with no points, having suffered defeats against Bulgaria, Montenegro and Switzerland.
However, write them off at your peril. They will be well up for the game, with many Welsh fans seeing beating England as the most important thing now that qualifying for the finals may be too much to ask.
With Gareth Bale now fit and firing again for Wales while England is missing key players like Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand, this encounter is set to be a lot closer than it looks on paper.
GK: Joe Hart
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Unless anything untoward happens to Hart in the next week, he will be the man charged with preventing English embarrassment.
The Manchester City goalkeeper has established himself as England's No. 1 since the World Cup debacle last year.
He has played in all of England's qualifiers and friendlies since South Africa, and has put in some assured performances that look to have earned him the starting role for many years to come.
The athletic and robust 23-year-old has not been quite as impressive this season as he was with Birmingham City last season, but he is still the best goalkeeper we have.
RB: Glen Johnson
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It still pains me to say it, but this man is almost guaranteed to start in every England fixture due to the apparent lack of a competent competitor.
Don't get me wrong, Johnson is a brilliant asset to have when England goes on the attack. His pace and vision make him the perfect foil for any of England's right-sided players, and he has proved time and time again that he can chip in with a goal.
However, it is not enough to excuse the fact that he just doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to defending. Too often he has left England's defense exposed, getting caught out of position.
There is no doubt that if he improves the defensive side of his game, he could be one of the best in the world.
For now though he is our best option and he will start against Wales.
CB: John Terry
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After a turbulent year for JT, he has been informed by the bonkers Italian in charge that he will regain the captain's armband for the Millennium Stadium outing, with stories leading us to believe that he may hold onto it for longer than just one game.
I'm sure most will remember that last year, prior to the World Cup, a scandal involving Terry, Wayne Bridge and Venessa Porrencel saw the Chelsea supremo stripped of the captaincy, with Rio Ferdinand taking over the role.
However, with Rio out for the foreseeable future and vice-captain Steven Gerrard also missing for the Wales game, JT has been asked to step back up to the plate.
The tough-tackling bastion of the traditional English centre back will be pivotal in keeping out the threat of Gareth Bale and Wales. If he plays well, then England shouldn't worry too much about getting a result.
CB: Michael Dawson
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With Rio Ferdinand back on the treatment table, England needs an able deputy to stand tall alongside John Terry in the heart of the defense, and that will more than likely be Michael Dawson.
The stand-in Spurs skipper partnered JT against Denmark last month and provided a decent account of himself.
Dawson went to the World Cup as Rio Ferdinand's replacement last summer, where he played second fiddle to Matthew Upson.
However, he has now moved up the pecking order and seems to be the first person Capello turns to when his preferred partnership is broken up.
The Yorkshireman has been in great form for his club over the last 18 months and is now fully fit after an injury scare. He has been instrumental in the Spur's march into the last eight of the Champions League.
LB: Ashley Cole
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England's back four and goalkeeper pretty much pick themselves at the moment, and the most obvious choice of the five is left-back Ashley Cole.
It has been a fairly quiet year for Cole, with such mundane goings-on as alleged adultery, a divorce and shooting a work experience boy at Chelsea's training ground, but there is no denying that he is one of, if not the best, in his position in the world.
He became the ninth-most capped Englishman in history when he turned out against Denmark, having represented his country on 87 different occasions, including three World Cup trips.
Cole has been the first choice at left-back pretty much since he made his debut in 2001, and that doesn't look like it's changing any time soon.
RM: Aaron Lennon
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Right wing is currently the most contested position in the England side, with Lennon and Theo Walcott the two main challengers.
Fabio Capello has tended to lean towards Walcott in recent months, which is in sharp contrast to last summer when he opted to leave him at home, starting Lennon instead, with Shaun Wright-Phillips the deputy.
However, the Arsenal youngster has been out with a knee problem for three weeks, and Arsene Wenger has already said that he will not be back for the International.
This leaves Lennon as the most logical replacement.
Like Walcott he is extremely fast and capable of leaving opposition defenders in his wake as he charges to the byline. He perhaps does not have the same killer instinct in front of goal as Walcott, but he will provide width and energy to the England attack.
CM: Frank Lampard
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One of the few remaining members of England's "Golden Generation," Frank has been a part of the England setup since his debut in 1999 and has been a starter for the better part of a decade.
He offers a dangerous presence going forward, known for scoring his fair share of goals for his club side and always being one of the most prolific shooters on an International night (whether they all hit the target is another question).
Lampard has a point to prove, having been one of the biggest flops at last summer's World Cup, but it doesn't look like Capello has lost faith in him and he will be in the starting 11 through to next summer's tournament.
Lampard may benefit from Steven Gerrard's absence, with a holding midfielder alongside him he will be able to get forward more and not worry about tracking back as much.
We have often seen both Lampard and Gerrard prosper in central midfield when the other is not present, but no manager has yet had the bottle to drop either!
CM: Jack Wilshere
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Fabio Capello appears to be a big fan of the 19-year-old, who has proven this season that he has a big future in the game, forcing his way into Arsenal's starting 11, where he is now a regular fixture.
Wilshere has been the shining light for Arsenal in three weeks which have seen their Quadruple pursuit turn into a league or nothing season.
Although he only has two caps to his name, Capello may well elect to start Wilshere ahead of Gareth Barry or Scott Parker due to current form and the potential he sees in the youngster.
With an experienced head in Frank Lampard alongside him, Wilshere can prosper, and he has shown that he can play well in the holding role, picking out key passes at important times, and he is not afraid to have a pop at goal.
It will be his first game of competitive International football, but he looks the part and should cope.
LM: Ashley Young
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My first choice for this role would be Adam Johnson, and although he has returned from injury this weekend for Manchester City, Capello has opted to wait a bit before bringing him back into the fold.
For that reason I think the Italian will opt for Aston Villa's Ashley Young on the left side of midfield and I don't think too many will complain.
Young looked lively when he entered the fray against Denmark last month, notching the winning goal in the process. He clearly has a bright future at International level and his club form has been exceptional.
As a naturally left-footed player, he is the obvious choice in this position, although Capello's strange obsession with Young's teammate Stewart Downing may see him get the nod.
Young though, has pace to burn, a great touch and is capable of finding the back of the net, making him a useful weapon and one that deserves a chance.
CF: Wayne Rooney
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It has been a tough year for Rooney, both on and off the pitch, but he has shown in the last few weeks that he is getting back to his best, with a string of excellent performances for Manchester United.
On Tuesday night, Sir Alex Ferguson played him in the traditional No. 10 role, sitting in the hole and creating the chances for Javier Hernandez, a plan that worked to perfection.
It would be nice to see Capello take note and play Rooney in a similar role against Wales in Cardiff as he can enjoy more time on the ball and create space for his strike partner, as well as the onrushing trio of Young, Lampard and Lennon.
Rooney clearly enjoys playing for England and this role will suit him down to the ground as he often gets frustrated when he doesn't see the ball for long periods, leading to reckless decision making.
With more ball time he can get into the game more, and his natural creativity and predatory instincts will be pivotal in England's pursuit of three points.
ST: Darren Bent
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This represents a significant U-Turn for me, as it wasn't long ago that I wrote Darren Bent off completely as a footballer and sighed heavily every time he was chosen to represent the Three Lions.
However, in the last two seasons he has proven that he can cut it at the highest level and I would now like to see him given a decent run on the national side.
At the moment I would argue that his only real competition for the role is Jermaine Defoe, but he has endured a difficult season and found goals hard to come by.
It would be a typical Capello move to opt for Defoe's experience, but it is important to keep confidence in Bent as he is clearly a confident player who excels when he is given the right backing.
He can score goals, Capello just needs to give him the chance.
Possibles
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Andy Carroll—The Liverpool youngster has been touted by Fabio Capello as the England centre forward for the future and with a £35 million price tag at his age, it is hard to argue.
Capello may opt to play him alongside Wayne Rooney but having just returned from injury for his club, he has had little game time in recent weeks.
Ben Foster—Joe Hart seems to be Capello's first choice and I am a great believer in consistency when it comes to the goalkeeping position, which is why I think Foster will have to make do with a place on the bench.
However if needed, England fans can rest assured that they have an able deputy in Big Ben. He has been in scintillating form since joining Birmingham City and a man of the match performance helped lift the club's first piece of major silverware since the 1960s.
Gary Cahill—The only player with any chance of breaking up the back four that played against Denmark last month.
Scott Parker—West Ham's talisman has been awesome for the last two years and is one of the few shining lights at Upton Park. He has never really been given his chance at International level and were it not for Jack Wilshere, he would probably get his chance against Wales.
He is your typical central midfield anchor, but with Capello keen to introduce and develop Wilshere, he may have missed his chance.
Stewart Downing—Despite never really showing much promise at international level, England managers continue to pick him. May be preferred over Ashley Young.
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