Steven Gerrard made England's captain for the friendly

The latest news from the English squad a day before the friendly against Switzerland.

Steven Gerrard made England's captain for the friendly In preparation for the World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign, which will start on 6 September against Andorra, England's new coach Fabio Capello will have plenty of time to experiment with different captains, but for the friendly game against Switzerland on Wednesday, Capello has chosen Steven Gerrard to fill in for injured John Terry. England will face off Switzerland tomorrow at Wembley Stadium and the odds are definitely on their side. At the British bookmaker Bet365 England is listed with odds 1.44 (4/9) to win and Switzerland is the ultimate underdog with odds 9.50 (17/2), draw will pay out on 3.75 (11/4).

"Gerrard is important because he can pass on things, transmit things and inspire the players. But I will not name a permanent captain before the Andorra match," Fabio Capello commented. But the coach declined to elaborate on his decision not to invite David Beckham to the squad for the friendly on Wednesday. Meanwhile, David Beckham said he was disappointed by Capello's decision, but he believes that it would have been unfair to the squad if he were invited, considering he has not played serious football for the past few months. Beckham, who is one game short of winning 100 caps, also said the decision to leave him off the team was no surprise.

And finally, Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips rejoined the squad on Tuesday, after missing practice the day before. According to Capello, Wright-Phillips is in good shape and is ready for the friendly against Switzerland, although he will not reveal his first starting line-up until shortly before kick off.

Published on 02/05/2008