Source: Northern_Echo
Carroll in line for full England squad
ANDY Carroll's chances of a first senior England call-up have increased significantly following his omission from Stuart Pearce's Under-21 squad.[LNB] Carroll has been left out of the squad for this month's European Championships play-off double header with Romania.[LNB] Sunderland duo Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck have been included in the 23-man party, along with Middlesbrough goalkeeper Jason Steele, but there is no place for Carroll despite his impressive start to the Premier League season with Newcastle.[LNB] The striker, who is also qualified to play international football for Scotland, would have been involved in last month's Under-21 matches with Portugal and Lithuania had not he not been suffering from an ankle injury.[LNB] His exclusion from this month's squad has led to fevered speculation suggesting he will instead be promoted to Fabio Capello's senior squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro on October 12.[LNB] Capello is suffering from a severe shortage of strikers at the moment, and the Italian is known to be a long-standing admirer of Carroll's robustly physical approach.[LNB] Wayne Rooney is rated as extremely doubtful for the Montenegro game, having injured his ankle last week, while Jermain Defoe and Bobby Zamora will both definitely miss the game at Wembley.[LNB] Capello can still turn to the likes of Darren Bent, Peter Crouch and Carlton Cole, but Carroll would offer a different option as the England boss attempts to make it three competitive wins out of three since the disappointment of the World Cup finals.[LNB] The situation could be complicated by an impending court appearance, with the 21-year-old due to be tried at Newcastle Crown Court later this month on a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.[LNB] The Football Association are aware of the trial, and it remains to be seen whether the case will influence their thinking with regard to the make up of the squad due to be announced by Capello this weekend.[LNB] Carroll is set for a busy month, as he is also expected to sign a new four-year deal with the Magpies shortly.[LNB] His current contract still has three years to run, but it was signed when he was an inexperienced youngster on the fringe of the first-team squad, and Newcastle officials are keen to tie him down to a new, improved deal.[LNB] "I want to sign another contract," said Carroll. "That's what I want to do - this is the team I want to be at.[LNB] "I've just got to keep playing my football and hopefully it'll come. We've got a good group here and that's what we're aiming for. I want to be a part of it."[LNB] * Newcastle's Tyne-Wear derby with Sunderland has been brought forward on police advice. The game at St James' Park on Sunday, October 31 will now kick off at 1.30pm.[LNB]
