LONDON: Theo Walcott was the shock casualty as England coach Fabio Capello named his final 23-man squad for the World Cup yesterday.
Walcott was widely expected to be on the England team’s flight to South Africa on Wednesday after the Arsenal winger played a significant role in the qualifying campaign, but Capello has decided Manchester City’s Shaun Wright-Phillips and Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon represent better options on the flanks.
It is the second time Walcott has been involved in a controversial World Cup selection after his surprise inclusion in Sven Goran Eriksson’s squad for the 2006 tournament - even before he made his Premier League debut for Arsenal - when failed to pay off as he did not make a single appearance. The 21-year-old displayed flashes of his electric pace in last week’s friendly win over Mexico - following his crucial hat-trick in a 4-1 qualifying victory over Croatia in September 2008 - and looked to have cemented his place in the squad.
Also receiving the unwanted call from Capello were Everton left-back Leighton Baines, Manchester City winger Adam Johnson, West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, Tottenham centre-back Michael Dawson, Sunderland striker Darren Bent and Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone.
The midfield inclusions were Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole. Capello has included only four recognised strikers and will rely on Wayne Rooney and one of Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe to spearhead his attack. In defence, Capello picked centre-back Ledley King, left-back Ashley Cole as well as Jamie Carragher, Matthew Upson and Stephen Warnock.
Separating the wheat from the chaff
Elsewhere around the world, all teams finalised their final-23. In Geneva, Eriksson announced an expected striker heavy contingent spearheaded by Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou while having Barcelona’s Yaya Toure as a noteworthy inclusion.
In Belgrade, Zeljko Brkic was the unlucky man to miss out as Serbia coach Radomir Antic trimmed his 24-man party down to the final 23 names who will make the trip to South Africa.
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic and Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic will be expected to provide the solidity at the back. Serbia will face Poland in a friendly in Austria, and are up against Germany, Australia and Ghana in World Cup Group D.
In Athens, Greece coach Otto Rehhagel named his squad which features eight players representing Greek champions Panathinaikos. The Euro 2004 champions are drawn in Group B with South Korea, Nigeria and Argentina.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2010.
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