Manchester United Forums - United Zone

Originally Posted by Daily mail

David Beckham is sweating over his 100th England cap after Fabio Capello revealed he is prepared to leave the former skipper out against Switzerland.

Capello announces his 22-man squad on Saturday for next Wednesday's Wembley friendly - his first match in charge of England - and Spanish newspaper Marca report the Italian has told his inner circle Beckham will not be included.

The former Real Madrid boss, who coached Beckham in the Spanish capital, will attempt to speak to the player this week before making a definitive decision but reckons the 32-year-old cannot be fully match-fit, having not played a competitive game since late November.

It is the close season for Beckham's club side, Los Angeles Galaxy, and Capello has also expressed serious doubts about the standard of Major League Soccer.

However, he insists he is not closing the door on Beckham, who won his 99th cap in the defeat against Croatia in November.

Capello has been impressed with the performances of Tottenham's Aaron Lennon and Blackburn's David Bentley and believes that they have made a more convincing case for inclusion.

He will not be moved by emotional calls to make Beckham captain and allow him to reach his century. Capello insists that if he has been hired to remedy England's ills after the team's failure to qualify for Euro 2008, he needs to take this kind of pragmatic decision.

Beckham is training with Arsenal to stay in shape and Capello has been impressed by his efforts to maintain fitness. But, according to sources close to the new England manager, Capello still does not think that Beckham has been able to demonstrate that he is ready for international football - even if next week's match is only a friendly.

By leaving out Beckham, Capello wants to make it clear that there is a new era at the FA. He has also insisted that neither Sir Trevor Brooking, the director of football development, nor Brian Barwick, the chief executive, will have any say in his squad selection. He intends to lay down a marker for his reign as England coach by choosing a squad based entirely on merit.

Capello said this month that Beckham could still "give a lot" for England.

Despite the midfielder's very public ostracism while the pair were at Madrid last season, Capello has made it clear that the decision to leave the Englishman out of the squad there for a month following his agreement to transfer to LA Galaxy at the end of the campaign was taken by the club president, Ramón Calderón.

Impressed by Beckham's professionalism, it was Capello who insisted on the Englishman's return to the side, for whom he played a major role in winning the league title.

Capello had been expected to include Beckham in this week's squad. Sir Alex Ferguson, who managed Beckham at Manchester United, said he was certain Beckham would play against Switzerland.

"I don't think there is any doubt about that," he said. "To deny him another cap when he is already on 99 would not be right and I think Capello has made up his mind about that."

Beckham was left out of the first England squad named by Capello's predecessor, Steve McClaren, but fought his way back into the team after an 11-month absence to move to within a cap of joining Peter Shilton, Sir Bobby Moore, Sir Bobby Charlton and Billy Wright in the elite band of footballers who have played 100 times for England.

Originally Posted by Dirtycheat

deja vu, huh?

i remember last time he dropped him.

I think its stupid not to play him, he has proven so many people wrong, worked so hard over the years and took all the shit people threw at him. He is percieved by some as arrogant but from what ive seen from him he is actually a nice guy. He is also a great player and you can fault his work ethic.

Fabio is obviously not here to make friends.