FOOTBALL

JOE A VICTIM OF CAPELLO

Cole must wait for Capello's decision

Sunday November 8,2009

By Jim Holden

FABIO CAPELLO will reveal tonight whether the high skill and talent of Joe Cole will be a key part of England’s World Cup battle plan, or whether he views the Chelsea midfielder merely as a luxury extra.

Cole has impressed hugely in the past few weeks since recovering from a long-term leg injury, which has pleased Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti.

But there are signs that Capello is yet to be convinced, and may use the fact that Cole does not start every match in Chelsea’s superstar squad as a reason to omit him from the England squad for next Saturday’s prestige friendly against Brazil.

That squad is announced tonight, and the game is one of only two England matches left for Capello to assess players in training and during a high-quality game before choosing his 23-man World Cup party.

Many England supporters would think it is the ideal opportunity to look at Joe Cole, who has been one of the very few genuinely creative and technical players of high international standard in English football in the past few years.

Capello was cryptic and evasive, however, when asked about the Chelsea midfielder.

“It is important for people to be playing a lot of games, otherwise it is not easy to assess whether they are in good form,” said Capello. But is that really the case? Can Capello actually be unsure about the class of Joe Cole, and his style of play? Surely not. Isn’t a friendly against Brazil exactly the kind of match in which to have a look at Cole,
especially if the usual player on the left side of England’s midfield, Steven Gerrard, is unfit?

Capello’s reluctance to pick men who are not regular starters in their club side is selective. Otherwise, how would Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey retain his place? Tonight’s squad selection for the Brazil match will be revealing not just for Joe Cole, but also for another fan’s favourite, Michael Owen.

The striker appears to be even further down the pecking order than Cole, with a possible selection tonight apparently dependent on whether he starts for Manchester United against Chelsea in this afternoon’s big Premier League showdown.

“It will be important to see if he plays,” said Capello. “Manchester always choose the best players. I will check Owen if he plays.”

There is more certainty with Capello’s attitude to rejecting unfit players. He admitted “it is a problem” that goalkeeper David James currently cannot train for two days after a match, and he also said that

Rio Ferdinand would not be a special case if his injury problems persist.

“I am sure Rio will be okay for the World Cup,” said Capello. “But my position is clear – I want to take only
properly fit players to the World Cup.

“Little knocks would be okay, but not anyone with a big problem.” The match against Brazil should show how England rate against the very best. Capello reckons Brazil are the best in the world right now, and one “of five teams we think about” as rivals for winning the World Cup. Spain are another, and Capello also identified Ivory Coast and Ghana as genuine contenders, saying: “They are really very good.”