Source: Team_Talk
England calls for Baines and King
Baines and King are perhaps the most surprising names in the squad for next Saturday's friendly with Slovakia at Wembley and the World Cup qualifier at home to Ukraine on Wednesday April 1.[LNB]Former England Under-21 defender Baines, now 24, has been watched closely by coach Fabio Capello recently and the Evertonian's impressive performances mean he has got the chance to act as understudy to first-choice left-back Ashley Cole now Wayne Bridge has been sidelined by a hamstring injury.[LNB]And despite not being able to train due to a persistent knee problem, King has been handed his first call-up during the Capello regime as the England coach takes a closer look at the Tottenham centre-back.[LNB]Also involved is King's Spurs team-mate Lennon, who won the last of his nine caps against Andorra two years ago but has been in fine form on Tottenham's right flank lately and was instrumental in their 1-0 Premier League win over Chelsea on Saturday.[LNB]King turned in a superb performance at White Hart Lane and it seems Capello is willing to overlook King's training ground absences.[LNB]The 28-year-old's problem stems from a series of cartilage operations which effectively mean bone rubs against bone during physical exertion.[LNB]King has such swelling afterwards, it takes days to subside properly, so when the England squad meet up on Monday evening at their Watford HQ, that is the condition Capello is likely to find in a player who last appeared for his country before the 2006 World Cup.[LNB]As expected, Manchester United goalkeeper Foster makes the cut - also for the first time since Capello took charge.[LNB]Earlier this week, the Italian spoke in glowing terms about Foster and said he was willing to make an exception to his unwritten rule to leave out players who do not play regularly for their clubs.[LNB]But there was bad news for Aston Villa pair Ashley Young and Agbonlahor, neither of whom keep their places from last month's 2-0 friendly defeat to Spain in Seville. Two more Villa players in James Milner and Luke Young have also been omitted.[LNB]With Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard back for the first time since the qualifying win in Belarus last October, and Rio Ferdinand fit after missing the Seville reverse with a stomach bug, England should be at full strength next weekend.[LNB]Capello has already pledged to make maximum use of his six allotted substitutes against Slovakia, with the crunch clash against Ukraine uppermost in his thoughts.[LNB]England squad for matches against Slovakia and Ukraine: Foster (Man Utd), Green (West Ham), James (Portsmouth); Baines (Everton), A Cole (Chelsea), Ferdinand (Man Utd), Jagielka (Everton), Johnson (Portsmouth), King (Tottenham), Lescott (Everton), Terry (Chelsea), Upson (West Ham); Barry (Aston Villa), Beckham (AC Milan), Carrick (Man Utd), Downing (Middlesbrough), Gerrard (Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Wright-Phillips (Man City); C Cole (West Ham), Crouch (Portsmouth), Heskey (Aston Villa), Rooney (Man Utd).[LNB][LNB] World Cup 2010 Win Outright: England 7/1[LNB]
