England provisional squad ; Scholes says 'no' to comeback...

• Poignant

  11 May 10, 22:41

  Capello names Liverpool defender Carragher in England squad

  Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has been named in England's provisional World Cup squad.

  Carragher and Ledley King are the shock call-ups to England's provisional 30-man World Cup squad - but there is no place for Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves.

  Neither Carragher nor King has played a game for the Three Lions under Fabio Capello, although the Tottenham man was called into the squad for a double header against Slovakia and the Ukraine last year, only to be ditched a couple of days later on fitness grounds.

  However, with doubts over Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, and Wes Brown and Joleon Lescott ruled out through injury, Capello has talked Carragher out of retirement and will have a look at the Liverpool man, plus King, who has just played four games in 15 days, before finalising his 23-man squad for South Africa.

  FULL SQUAD:

  Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

  Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

  Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

  Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

• TTFU

  11 May 10, 22:42

  Oh no, where is michael owen lol...

• Poignant

  11 May 10, 22:44

  WORLD CUP 2010: Scott Parker, Adam Johnson, Jamie Carragher and Darren Bent in Fabio Capello's England squad
  

  Jamie Carragher and Adam Johnson are two of the shock call-ups to England's provisional 30-man World Cup squad.

  Carragher has not played a game for the Three Lions under Capello but with doubts over Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, and Wes Brown and Joleon Lescott ruled out through injury, Capello has talked the Liverpool man out of retirement.

  

  Count me in: Carragher is back on the international scene after three years

  Provisional England squad
  

   

  GOALKEEPERS
  Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green
  

  DEFENDERS
  Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock

  MIDFIELDERS
  Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips

  FORWARDS
  Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

  With Gareth Barry selected, despite on-going concerns over the ankle injury he suffered during Manchester City's defeat to Tottenham last week, Capello has decided not to call on Owen Hargreaves, as had been predicted even though the midfielder has played only one minute of senior football since October 2008. 

  Instead, West Ham's Scott Parker is included in a midfield also containing Joe Cole, who has not been involved since the sensational win over Croatia in September 2008. 

  Sunderland striker Darren Bent is also included.

  Manchester City's Johnson is one of two uncapped players in Capello's squad, the other being Tottenham defender Michael Dawson. 

  Only three goalkeepers - David James, Robert Green and Joe Hart - have been named, whilst attempts to coax back Wayne Bridge and Paul Scholes have been less successful than Capello's efforts with Carragher.

  Amongst the players who were mentioned as candidates but did not receive a call were Gary Neville, who was an outside bet anyway, Stewart Downing and Carlton Cole.

  

  National service: Parker has been rewarded for his form at West Ham
  

  In addition, Bobby Zamora has failed to secure a place amongst the final 30 despite his outstanding contribution to Fulham's excellent season.

  Instead, Bent has been handed a place despite his ineffective performance against Brazil last November.

  Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will be disappointed there are no spots for Downing, Gabriel Agbonlahor or Ashley Young, even if Stephen Warnock will travel along with James Milner.

  Missing out on today's squad does not necessarily end all hope of reaching the World Cup. 

  Once his final 23-man party is named after the second of two forthcoming friendlies, against Japan in Graz on May 30, Capello can still make changes due to injury and those replacements do not have to come out of the original 30.

  

  Forward thinking: Sunderland star Bent joins fellow striker Wayne Rooney

• Rooney9

  11 May 10, 22:46

  where is ben foster

  why bring an injured and unfit midfielder, barry to the world cup leh? omg, Leighton Baines, is he any good?

• Paisley

  11 May 10, 22:51

  Originally posted by Rooney9:

  where is ben foster

  why bring an injured and unfit midfielder, barry to the world cup leh? omg, Leighton Baines, is he any good?

  
  Can you read? Or you cannot understand provisional?

• Rooney9

  11 May 10, 22:56

  Originally posted by Paisley:

  
  Can you read? Or you cannot understand provisional?

  go to church and preach MLM there, not here please farkside. dunno whose farking clone are you. you farking reminds me of undertaker chris, now where is he

• sh90

  11 May 10, 23:04

  Zamora should be included cos he help fulham reach the europa final

• Paisley

  11 May 10, 23:05

  Originally posted by Rooney9:

  go to church and preach MLM there, not here please farkside. dunno whose farking clone are you. you farking reminds me of undertaker chris, now where is he

  
  I'm not part of any Church or MLM Company. I'm not a clone, new user around.

• plsthanks

  11 May 10, 23:16

  theo walcott not good enough ley.

• redDUST

  11 May 10, 23:23

  Originally posted by Paisley:

  
  I'm not part of any Church or MLM Company. I'm not a clone, new user around.

  -

• FirePig

  12 May 10, 00:37

  ONe of the worst lineouts i have ever seen in england squad.

  But who knows? maybe they can create miracle.

• mrwonderful

  12 May 10, 00:59

  chelsea squad looks stronger than england squad

• Rooney9

  12 May 10, 01:51

  Originally posted by mrwonderful:

  chelsea squad looks stronger than england squad

  much much stronger. just look at the goalie, which of the 3 english goalie quality is better than cech?

• As romanista2001

  12 May 10, 03:03

  Originally posted by Poignant:

  Capello names Liverpool defender Carragher in England squad

  Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has been named in England's provisional World Cup squad.

  Carragher and Ledley King are the shock call-ups to England's provisional 30-man World Cup squad - but there is no place for Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves.

  Neither Carragher nor King has played a game for the Three Lions under Fabio Capello, although the Tottenham man was called into the squad for a double header against Slovakia and the Ukraine last year, only to be ditched a couple of days later on fitness grounds.

  However, with doubts over Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, and Wes Brown and Joleon Lescott ruled out through injury, Capello has talked Carragher out of retirement and will have a look at the Liverpool man, plus King, who has just played four games in 15 days, before finalising his 23-man squad for South Africa.

  FULL SQUAD:

  Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

  Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

  Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

  Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

  no decent keeper....................

  Scott Parker ????? former Charlton guy ?

  Heskey also made it ah ?????

   

  unless their draw very lucky, i give them Q-F at most................no good wingers too...........

• stellazio

  12 May 10, 03:11

  England has always been a quarter final team, so don't expect too much. If they meet some technically skilled team like Spain, they can say byebye..

• mrwonderful

  12 May 10, 09:08

  The only performers this season are Ferdinand, Terry, Ashley Cole, Adam Johnson, Lampard, Rooney. (Carrick and Lennon also to a certain extent)

  also now very important for left backs and right backs to act like quick wingers: attacking swiftly and defending counterattacks. only Ashley Cole is up to then task...

• the Bear

  12 May 10, 09:16

  Originally posted by Rooney9:

  much much stronger. just look at the goalie, which of the 3 english goalie quality is better than cech?

  
  John Terry is a great "second goalie" 

• zocoss

  12 May 10, 10:01

  WORLD CUP 2010: Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes says 'no' to Fabio Capello over England comeback... eventually
  

   

  

  Now and then: Paul Scholes celebrates after scoring against Tunisia at the 1998 World Cup (above) and after yet another goal for Manchester United (below)

   

   

   

   

  Paul Scholes had a dramatic change of heart yesterday after indicating to England manager Fabio Capello that he might make a sensational return to international football for this summer's World Cup.

  The 35-year-old Manchester United midfielder retired from the international game after Euro 2004 but suddenly received an approach from a desperate Capello on Monday.

  Having already succeeded in talking Jamie Carragher out of international retirement, Capello thought he might be able to bring Scholes back too.

  When Capello's general manager, Franco Baldini, spoke to Scholes late on Monday night, the player gave a strong indication that he might say yes before asking for the night to think it over.

  Scholes was asked to make a decision by 10am and to the considerable disappointment of the England manager, said no.

  Capello said: 'We tried to convince him to come back for England, but he said no. He preferred to stay with his family. We tried.'

  After ruling out Gareth Barry on Monday, Capello decided to include him in the 30-man provisional squad he named yesterday, ahead of the injury-plagued Owen Hargreaves, after hearing that a specialist will check on Barry's damaged ankle ligaments earlier than planned, on May 24.