World Cup 2002 This article is more than 21 years oldEngland: the likely squad
This article is more than 21 years oldWorking on the twin assumptions that Kieron Dyer is going to Japan and Korea to fill the wide-left midfield position, and that David Beckham will be fit in time to return on the right, the first-choice England side almost picks itself.
Seaman; G Neville, Ferdinand, Campbell, Ashley Cole; Beckham, Gerrard, Scholes, Dyer; Heskey, Owen.
There is room for late fine-tuning if Eriksson prefers Gareth Southgate to either of the central defenders, for example, or Wayne Bridge to Ashley Cole, but the above 11 can be regarded as definites.
England will need 11 more, plus a spare goalkeeper. The obvious way to cover every eventuality would be to pick a reserve for every position. Like this.
Martyn; Mills, Keown, Southgate, Bridge; Hargreaves, Lampard, Butt, J Cole; Fowler, Sheringham. Plus David James as third goalkeeper.
Some of Eriksson's last and most difficult decisions may involve whether to take Ugo Ehiogu instead of Martin Keown, Danny Murphy instead of Frank Lampard and Darius Vassell instead of Teddy Sheringham. But he may opt to take five strikers - he admitted on Wednesday he has not made up his mind yet - which would be a way to utilise the pace of Vassell and the experience of Sheringham.
To do that he would have to sacrifice a midfielder or a central defender. The combined versatility of Owen Hargreaves and Nicky Butt means Eriksson could leave Lampard and Murphy at home, though he could also lose the fourth central defender by picking a right-back such as Mills or Jamie Carragher who can play in the middle if necessary, as can Gary Neville. Midfield tends to be the battleground in modern football, so my guess is that he will take five strikers and sacrifice a central defender. Predicted squad:
Goalkeepers: David Seaman, Nigel Martyn, David James
Full-backs: Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Wayne Bridge
Centre-backs: Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Gareth Southgate
Wide midfield: David Beckham, Kieron Dyer, Danny Murphy, Joe Cole
Inside midfield: Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Owen Hargreaves
Forwards: Michael Owen, Emile Heskey, Robbie Fowler, Teddy Sheringham, Darius Vassell
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