FABIO Capello was forced to turn back to the usual suspects including Matthew Upson and Joleon Lescott as he wrestled with an injury crisis ahead of England’s first competitive games since their World Cup debacle.
Fabio Capello was forced to turn back to Matthew Upson, pictured, and Joleon Lescott
England manager Capello handed recalls to Peter Crouch, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Scott Carson as well as Upson and Lescott, after seeing his squad decimated by injuries for the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign double header against Bulgaria and Switzerland.
John Terry (hamstring), Frank Lampard (hernia), Bobby Zamora (thigh) all miss out, while Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale was denied a first call-up by Capello after damaging ankle ligaments in the 2-2 draw with Blackpool on Saturday.
It is an injury which could sideline him for two months. West Brom goalkeeper Carson joins Joe Hart and Ben Foster in the 24-man party, with Robert Green joining Lampard in undergoing surgery in the international break.
Upson
and Lescott are among five centre-backs selected by the Italian, with
doubts surrounding the fitness of Phil Jagielka, who picked up a nasty
ankle injury in Everton’s 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa yesterday.
Everton
manager David Moyes said: “I was going to take him off at half-time. I
think he’ll need to get assessed, his foot is really badly swollen.”
Capello, who has again ignored Liverpool’s Joe Cole and Tom Huddlestone
of Spurs, will be desperate for Jagielka to recover from the knock,
given his defensive problems.
Jagielka won only
his fourth cap in the 2-1 friendly win over Hungary at the start of the
month, but Rio Ferdinand is out injured and Wes Brown and Jamie
Carragher have retired from international football.
Michael Dawson made his debut against Hungary and Gary Cahill has yet to make a senior appearance.
The
fitness of Crouch will also be monitored when England meet up today
ahead of the Wembley clash with Bulgaria on Friday, after he damaged a
rib in Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat by Wigan. Meanwhile, Jack Wilshire’s
hopes of being promoted from the Under-21 squad were hit after he was
arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning following a “fracas”.
Wilshere, who came on as an 84th-minute substitute in Arsenal’s 2-1 win at Blackburn on Saturday, was later released on bail.
The
statement, issued by the Wasserman Media Group on behalf of the
Wilshere went on to assert he is “unlikely” to face charges. The
statement read: “Jack Wilshere was arrested by police in the early
hours following a fracas but was released on bail later.
“The
police have made it very clear that he is an important witness to the
incident and played the role of peacemaker and is unlikely to face any
charges as a result. Jack has made it very clear he will co-operate
fully with the police investigation.”
Wilshere
made his England debut in the friendly against Hungary earlier this
month, but was named in the Under-21 squad for the matches against
Portugal on September 3 and Lithuania four days later.
Arsenal Team-mate Kieran Gibbs keeps his place in the squad.
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