Unlucky 7 set to miss out on the World
Cup
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Darren Bent (Sunderland)
Adam Johnson (Manchester City)
Leighton Baines (Everton)
Scott Parker (West Ham United)
Michael Dawson (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur)
Theo Walcott is the shock omission from Fabio Capello's
23-man England World Cup squad.
The Arsenal winger misses out along with Darren Bent
(Sunderland), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Leighton Baines
(Everton), Scott Parker (West Ham United), Michael Dawson and Tom
Huddlestone (both Tottenham Hotspur).
Capello is understood to have personally called all seven to
deliver the crushing news on Tuesday after being forced to cut his
30-man squad down to those he believes can bring home the trophy
from South Africa.
Walcott said: 'I am very disappointed not to be included in the
squad going out to South Africa, but completely respect Mr
Capello’s decision. 'I would like to wish the team the best of luck
and hope they have a really successful tournament.'
Despite not playing in either warm-up game against Mexico or
Japan, Warnock was chosen ahead of Baines as the deputy for
first-choice left back Ashley Cole.
Everton defender Baines had an awful game during the 3-1 win
against Mexico at Wembley and also didn't help his claim by
admitting homesickness could be a problem this summer.
The omission of Johnson as well as Walcott
indicates that Chelsea contract rebel Joe Cole, Manchester City
winger Shaun Wright-Phillips and Tottenham Hotspur's Aaron Lennon
are to be included.
Differing fortunes: Spurs defenders King (left) and
Dawson are thought to be vying for one spot
Capello is also understood to have
been encouraged by the latest medical update on Manchester City
midfielder Gareth Barry, who was assessed this
morning.
Barry is unlikely to be able to train fully
until after England's opening Group C match against the United
States, but damage to his ankle ligaments is showing improvement
and he will almost certainly be taken as the preferred holding
midfielder.
West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green appeared to confirm that Barry
was in the squad.
'He's a tremendous holding player in midfield which allows the
guys to go on and play the game,' said Green.
'A lot's been said about Stevie G (Gerrard) and Frank (Lampard)
not being able to do things, being held back, and he allows them to
do that.
'He's kind of an unsung hero in that respect to go out and do
the job that he does and I think he's proved his importance in that
the manager has waited until news of whether he'd be fit to
announce his squad.
'I'm looking forward to seeing him on the plane tomorrow
(Wednesday).'
Asked about reports of Bent being left out and Jermain Defoe
included, Green added: 'Darren will be disappointed with that.
Calling the shots: England manager Fabio Capello
'It's a tough choice to make but I'm sure it's a
pleasing choice for the manager because he's got such difficult
choices to make over which players to keep in and which to keep
out.
'Jermain has been there and done it at
international level and the goals he's scored have proved critical
at times.'
Walcott will no doubt be devastated by
Capello's decision as he finds himself in the opposite position of
four years ago.
The former Southampton starlet was the
surprise inclusion in Sven Goran Eriksson's squad for Germany 2006,
despite being a 17-year-old on the fringes of the Arsenal
team.
He
proceeded to watch the whole of the last World Cup from the bench,
but only last week spoke of how he felt part of this year's group
on merit.
'It's nice to get the chance to play and to
deserve to play,' said Walcott in the build-up to Sunday's 2-1 win
against Japan.
'I
didn't deserve to play or to be in the squad at all in 2006. I'd
not played in the Premier League and it's just not heard
of.'
Walcott blossomed in the qualifying campaign
and peaked with a hat trick in the 4-1 win at Croatia back in
September 2008.
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), David
James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham)
Defenders: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley
Cole (Chelsea), Ledley King (Tottenham), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester
United), Glen Johnson (LIverpool), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew
Upson (West Ham), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)
Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City),
Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven
Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon
(Tottenham), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips
(Manchester City)
Strikers: Peter Crouch
(Tottenham), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa),
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
