Source: Team_Talk
Cole primed for World Cup role
England coach Fabio Capello has dropped the broadest hint yet that Joe Cole will be part of his 23-man World Cup squad.[LNB] The Chelsea star's position had looked in serious threat when Capello left him out of his squad for the March friendly against Egypt.[LNB]Although Cole had returned to action following major knee surgery, Capello had noted that "it was not the same player" and the odds seemed stacked against the 29-year-old making it to South Africa.[LNB]However, while he failed to force himself into Carlo Ancelotti's side on a regular basis, Cole did enough to get himself into Capello's provisional squad.[LNB]And as the Italian has doubts over the inexperience of Adam Johnson, Cole's eye-catching 45-minute cameo in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Japan in Graz was probably enough.[LNB]"I know Joe Cole very well," said the Italian. "He is in a good moment.[LNB]"He is fresh because he did not play a lot of games. Joe Cole is good. He played very well in the second half."[LNB]Cole's lack of first-team starts might have been viewed as fatal a couple of months ago.[LNB]But, as he finalises the squad he will make public tomorrow, Capello is already bending a few of his own rules, being fit for the opening game against the United States on June 12 for a start.[LNB]With Gareth Barry almost certainly ruled out of that Group C encounter in Rustenburg, Capello now requires only that the Manchester City midfielder is fit to train properly the day after, which would be over five weeks after he strained ankle ligaments against Tottenham.[LNB]"We will decide on Gareth Barry after we have had the final check to see how long it will be before he can train with us," said Capello.[LNB]Although Capello is keeping the exact make-up of his squad secret, there are a couple of certainties.[LNB]Neither Michael Dawson nor Scott Parker had played a single minute for Capello during the Italian's two-and-a-half year reign as England coach prior to the two-week Austrian training camp. And as they still haven't, they can book their summer holidays with a large degree of confidence.[LNB]Tom Huddlestone and Darren Bent both failed to take the chances afforded to them by a starting berth yesterday and were replaced at half-time, so they too are likely to miss out.[LNB]Stephen Warnock is highly unlikely to displace Leighton Baines as second choice right-back and if Cole gets the nod, Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips will probably both miss out.[LNB]"I know the 22 players who are in mind," confirmed Capello.[LNB]"They are the same 22 that I decided last week. Nothing has changed."
