Three Lions predicted starting line-up (Part 1)
After the much disappointing World Cup fiasco in South Africa, England is coming back to play the first of a two match week to qualify for the Euro 2012.
England is in a group with Wales, Switzerland and Bulgaria. The Three Lions will be facing Bulgaria on Friday night at Wembley then Switzerland on Tuesday night.
The Italian boss has called back some well known faces and among those call backs is a minor injury crisis with John Terry, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand, all benched and unfit to play at the moment.
Here is a list of players that are predicted to play in the starting line up in the match against Bulgaria:
Joe Hart, Goal keeper
Joe Hart is twenty-three years old and only has four caps and four goals in his international career, the last few months have been a very uplifting time in his career.
He completed a successful loan spell at club Birmingham and right now holds the number one shirt for both the national team as well as his club team.
Joe Hart has proved his worth in the eyes of the manager and the fans and not to mention Roberto Mancini’s faith in the player. The Manchester City keeper has only conceded one penalty this entire season and in a total of five appearances.
Both Scott Carson and Ben Foster are nursing injuries from their games on the weekend but it is expected that at least one of them would be fit enough to be available as a back-up goal keeper.
This will be Joe Hart’s first cut throat game while playing for the English national team as the match is expected to be very aggressive.
Glen Johnson, Right-Back
The twenty-six year old English player, Glen Johnson has twenty-seven caps under his cap and scored a goal once in a friendly, even though he plays the right back position.
Right now Johnson is the only specialist right back in the National English squad and Italian man Capello, is just praying that this player stays fit for now as he really needs him for the matches in the future.
Players going on retirement have hit the talent pool hard this summer as a lot of big names have called it quits from their international careers coming on top of this list is Jamie Carragher, Luke Young and Wes Brown.
Some fans are just thunderstruck and say that the team will never be the same without them.
Capello’s other alternative choice would be Micah Richards but he still plays for the under twenty-one squad and is still waiting for his first international match which make it clear that Johnson is not too worried about losing his position in the team.
Ashley Cole, Left-Back
This twenty-nine year old player has eighty-three caps so far and he is considered as one of the most talented left backs that England has to offer.
As John Terry and Rio Ferdinand will be on the side lines, Joe Cole is going to be acting as the senior most defender for the English team.
John Terry has more international appearances alone than the whole back line put together and a lot is expected from this Chelsea star.
Ashley Cole’s appearances in the matches against Switzerland and Bulgaria in the coming week will put the defender ninth in rank with the most caps for the English National team.
Right now Ashley Cole is level with Gary Neville, the thirty-five year old Manchester United captain and is only one more appearance below Kenny Sansom, who played for the Three Lions from 1979 to 1988 and made a total of eighty-six caps.
Kenny Sansom has the record of most appearances for a left back and now Cole will equal that in the first match and then cross it in the second match against Switzerland this week.
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