Source: Daily_Mail
Rooney set to miss out on Spain trip after Capello and United discussions
Fabio Capello is expected to omit Wayne Rooney from his England squad for Spain on Saturday night after lengthy discussions with Manchester United[LNB], leaving the door open to the possibility of a call-up for West Ham's[LNB]Carlton Cole.[LNB]Rooney could find himself facing Cole in Saturday's Barclays Premier League match at Upton Park, although only as a substitute after missing the last three weeks with a hamstring injury.[LNB]England coach Capello's assistant, Franco Baldini, and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson are thought to have agreed it prudent to let England's best player continue his rehabilitation in Manchester rather than travel for Wednesday's friendly in Seville.[LNB] Wayne Rooney could be omitted from Fabio Capello's England squad to face Spain due to injury[LNB]Rooney's absence, on top of injuries to Jermain Defoe, Theo Walcott, Michael Owen and Dean Ashton, leaves Capello worryingly short of options up front when Spain could start with Fernando Torres and David Villa.[LNB]While Aston Villa's[LNB]new pairing of Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor are now the likely starters, Capello will probably have to pick two from Peter Crouch, Darren Bent and the untried Cole.[LNB] Torres will be a pain in Spain, Liverpool boss Benitez warns England[LNB]Capello to call the shots over Rooney's England chances[LNB]West Ham v MANCHESTER UNITED: Brown returns to further bolster impassable defence[LNB]WEST HAM v Manchester United: Zola worry free for arrival of United[LNB]Platini war cry: UEFA chief on collision course with Premier League over curbing spending[LNB][LNB]Cole, in decent form of late for West Ham, does seem to have a reasonable chance of earning inclusion, even if Bent managed to score twice for Tottenham[LNB]in their recent game with Bolton.[LNB]Crouch has not enjoyed much of a chance since the departure of Steve McClaren and Capello is unlikely to forget Bent's miss against Germany last November in a hurry.[LNB]Certainly, West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola believes Cole is in the right form for club and country.[LNB] In-form West Ham striker Carlton Cole could earn an England call-up[LNB] 'Carlton has all the qualities to be a winner,' said Zola on Friday.[LNB]'Every week he improves a lot. He believes in what he's doing and that's what is making the difference. [LNB]'When he's in the form he is in right now he's very difficult to handle. [LNB]'Plus he wants to score, to be the protagonist, the one who can turn Manchester United over.'[LNB]The other selection headache possibly facing Capello concerns his choice of centre halves. [LNB]With Rio Ferdinand and John Terry now available, and Matthew Upson having claim to a place after his excellent recent England performances, Capello may have to choose between outstanding Everton[LNB]pair Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka.[LNB]Ferguson made it clear on Friday that he trusted Capello's judgment over Rooney's fitness.[LNB]'All I can do is explain the situation as the physios describe it,'he said. [LNB]'Wayne's not ready to start a game. Where there has to be a decision is whether it's worth taking him out to Spain to play maybe 25 minutes. [LNB]'That's entirely up to Fabio.'[LNB] Torres will be a pain in Spain, Liverpool boss Benitez warns England[LNB]Capello to call the shots over Rooney's England chances[LNB]West Ham v MANCHESTER UNITED: Brown returns to further bolster impassable defence[LNB]WEST HAM v Manchester United: Zola worry free for arrival of United[LNB]Platini war cry: UEFA chief on collision course with Premier League over curbing spending[LNB][LNB]Ferguson has no need to rush back Rooney because his team are functioning so well, although they go into a tough game at West Ham with only one win from nine games in London.[LNB]But Ferguson, chasing an eighth successive win, said: 'With the form as it is, I'd be prepared to take this team anywhere.'[LNB] Record breaker: Manchester United keeper Edwin van der Sar[LNB]Edwin van der Sar, who has not conceded a Premier League goal for 18 hours 42 minutes, needs one more clean sheet to pass Chris Woods' British goalkeeping record for Rangers[LNB]. [LNB]Topple Woods and he will be one away from the world record of 1,275 minutes set by Atletico Madrid's Abel Renso.[LNB]Zola, though, is convinced United are beatable, saying: 'They are a hard team to breakdown, but I have watched their videos and spotted some things that can be good for us.'[LNB] Torres will be a pain in Spain, Liverpool boss Benitez warns England[LNB]Capello to call the shots over Rooney's England chances[LNB]West Ham v MANCHESTER UNITED: Brown returns to further bolster impassable defence[LNB]WEST HAM v Manchester United: Zola worry free for arrival of United[LNB]Platini war cry: UEFA chief on collision course with Premier League over curbing spending[LNB][LNB] [LNB]
