Phil Jagielka to start for England
Phil Jagielka will start in England’s UEFA 2012 European Football Championship qualifying clash against Bulgaria at Wembley.
National team coach Fabio Capello confirmed the Everton defender will play after both first-choice centre-backs John Terry and Rio Ferdinand were ruled out due to injury.
Jagielka, 27, had been expected to play as England begin the campaign, but missed a training session on Tuesday as he nursed a swollen ankle. However, Capello said the 27-year-old had recovered and that he knew his what his team would be aside from one of the wingers.
Capello told a press conference today that: “Jagielka is fit and trained well. The pain is a little better and tomorrow he will be at 100 per cent. I'm not concerned but I know the players I select tomorrow will play for the first time together. I hope they will be really focusing every moment of the game and Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson will help these players. The keeper Joe Hart, and Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Gareth Barry, Cole, Johnson and Jagielka, yes. I know 10 or 11 who will play, with a little confusion about one wing."
Players drop out
After Tottenham Hotspur striker Peter Crouch was ruled out of featuring in the matches against Bulgaria tomorrow and Switzerland on Tuesday due to a back problem, goalkeeper Scott Carson dropped out of the squad due to a family bereavement.
However, the manager — who is also missing out on the services of Chelsea’s Frank Lampard as he undergoes a hernia operation — does not expect to have any more problems with his players.
He said that: "The training was really good. The players are OK and also some things are getting better, with the problems from the last two days. We trained at Wembley because it is important to know the pitch really well to decide which kind of boots you need for tomorrow."
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