England face Bulgaria at Wembley
On Friday, England welcome Bulgaria at Wembley to kick off their qualifying campaign for the 2012 European championships.
Fabio Capello's team are under pressure to win Group G, where they will also face Montenegro, Switzerland and Wales.
Injuries and recalls for Capello
England will be without Chelsea pair John Terry and Frank Lampard, as well as Fulham's Bobby Zamora and Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand, who are all out injured.
After being absent from the national team for two years, West Bromwich keeper Scott Carson has been recalled to the national team, but it is unlikely that he will start given Joe Hart's recent club form for Manchester City.
Matthew Upson, Michael Carrick, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe all return after being left out of the squad that played Hungary at Wembley in August.
Upson gifted Germany its opening goal as England crashed out of the World Cup in South Africa, but with Terry and Ferdinand out, he has been recalled by Capello.
Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill, Joleon Lescott and Michael Dawson, who made his England debut against Hungary, are the remaining central defenders in the squad.
Capello could opt for the same formation he used against Hungary, with three central midfielders flanked by two wingers were supported by a lone striker.
The change in formation was welcomed by those who had criticized Capello for adhering to his 4-4-2 system too rigidly at the World Cup.
With Lampard out, it's likely that Manchester United's Carrick will partner Gareth Barry and Steven Gerrard in central midfield, while Theo Walcott's impressive club form this season should grant him a place on either wing.
James Milner, now of Manchester City, secure his place on the wing after being one of the few players not to disappoint in South Africa. Striker Wayne Rooney looked unconvincing in the tournament, but he still looks certain to start in attack against Bulgaria.
England weary of Bulgarian threat
Capello has warned of the threat posed by the Bulgarian team ahead of Friday's encounter. With only two players from the country's domestic league in the squad, Stanimir Stoilov's team look capable of surprising England, at least on paper.
The Bulgarian team is without Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, who announced his retirement from international football this summer. But they can rely on the services of Parma FC's Valeri Bozhinov, formerly of Manchester City.
Midfield pair Martin Petrov and Stiliyan Petrov both play in the Premier League, and their strengths will be familiar to the English players.
Bulgaria yet to beat England
Stoilov's team are looking to qualify for the European championships for the third time, having entered the 1996 and 2004 tournaments.
Bulgaria has never won against England, drawing 4 and losing 4 games since 1962. Surprisingly, three of those draws took place on English soil.
Under Capello, England won all their 2010 World Cup qualifiers at home, conceding a total of only three goals.
Despite Lampard and Terry missing this encounter, England will hope to start their European qualifying campaign in a similar fashion.
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