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England play hosts as World Champions Spain arrive at Wembley on Saturday to take on Fabio Capello’s men.
It’s been a far from ideal warm up for England as they continue to face of-the-field issues, with John Terry’s inclusion and Wayne Rooney’s omission causing quite a stir.
Terry ‘s off the field trouble had led to speculation he would be left out of the England squad, however the Chelsea skipper is included, while Wayne Rooney, who will miss all of England’s group games at Euro 2012 next year after the Manchester United striker was sent off in their final qualifier against Montenegro, is left out.
Capello appears to be using both the friendly against Spain and next week’s match against Sweden to blood young players, with the Italian calling up Everton’s Jack Rodwell and Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, while there is no room for Micah Richards, Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe, Rio Ferdinand and Andy Carroll but Aston Villa’s Gabby Agbonlahor gets a recall.
Ashley Young’s injury means he misses out after flourishing in the early stages of his Manchester United career, but Glenn Johnson and Joleon Lescott return from knock to take their place in the squad.
It remains unclear who will captain England for the friendly despite Terry’s inclusion, with media reports suggesting Frank Lampard is in line to wear the armband.
Spain meanwhile have named their strong squad for the game, including Andreas Iniesta after the Barcelona playmaker recovered from a spell on the sidelines to take his place in the squad.
Premier League-based players David Silva and Juan Mata are also in Vicente del Bosque’s squad, as is Liverpool’s Pepe Reina and Chelsea’s Fernando Torres, while Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas will make his first trip back to the capital since leaving Arsenal in the summer. Thiago Alcantara and Pedro miss out.
Veteran goalkeeper Iker Cassillas will equal the record for most caps for a Spanish player if he gets the nod against England on in their friendly that follows against Costa Rica.
Spain go into the game in much better shape than England having won four of their last five encounters, with the 2-1 defeat against Italy in August the only mark on their recent record.
Fabio Capello’s men stumble across the finishing line as they secured their place for Euro 2012, drawing the Montenegro and Switzerland either side of wins against Wales and Bulgaria.
Match Winner
The record between the two in recent years reads a win a piece after Spain triumphed 2-0 in 2009 while England claimed a 1-0 victory in 2007.
Despite being level in recent meeting and being the away team, Spain are heavy favourites to win. William Hill have placed Del Bosque’s side at evens to emerge victorious, while England are best placed at 4.00 (3/1) with @ Bet365 – odds that are likely to lengthen once news of their inexperienced squad filters through. The draw is at 3.50 (5/2) with StanJames.
First Goalscorer
Spanish players dominate the first goal scorer market, no surprise given the paucity of England’s attacking unit without Rooney.
David Villa, Fernando Torres and Fernando Llorente are all best placed with SkyBet to open the scoring at 6.00 (5/1), 7.00 (6/1) and 8.00 (7/1) respectively, while Darren Bent leads the way for the home side at 9.00 (8/1) with Bet365.
The Spanish midfield maestro’s will no doubt have an impact on the game, and backing either David Silva, Juan Mata or Cesc Fabregas at 9.00 (8/1), also with Bet365, would be a wise move.
Recommended Bets
First Goalscorer, David Silva: 9.00 (8/1) Bet365
Correct score, 3-1 Spain: 17.00 (16/1) StanJames
