Should the ruling stand (it is understood the FA are likely to appeal), Fabio Capello will be left with the tough decision of whether he should take Rooney to Ukraine and Poland next summer at all. If he does decide to leave him out, he will have to rethink his squad selection, which was previously centred around the Manchester United frontman, and figure out a way to make the best of an average bunch of players.
As by far and away the best English stopper, Joe Hart is guaranteed his starting place, barring injury. In front of him we can again be assured of the presence of John Terry and Ashley Cole. The other two places in the back four are very much up for grabs, with the major contenders being Phil Jones (who continues to go from strength to strength), Gary Cahill, Kyle Walker and Micah Richards, though the latter appears to have little admiration from Capello.
The midfield is once again where most of the questions lie. The only safe bet currently looks to be Ashley Young who seems to have finally found some international form. Jack Wilshere should also feature should he regain fitness and form following a lengthy absence and the same goes for Steven Gerrard whose experience is key in the centre of midfield. Theo Walcott should feature but needs to gain some consistency at the top level to establish himself as a Capello favourite.
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| WRECKLESS: Rooney's actions in Montenegro have left Capello with a selection dilemma |
In attack, Capello is likely to go with the lone frontman and this is where the problems lie for the Italian. Rooney aside, England has little to offer in this area, so much so that Darren Bent is probably at the head of the pack, not someone you would group in the "World Class" category. Jermain Defoe, Andy Carroll and Bobby Zamora are likely to be given chances to prove themselves but they have hardly lit up the sky in an England shirt thus far.
Elsewhere, there is promising talent in Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge and even Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who has impressed for both club and country (at U-21 level) in recent weeks, a hat-trick against Iceland U-21 the outstanding moment of his career so far.
I have little sympathy for Rooney - his actions in Montenegro were selfish, irresponsible
and showed a worrying lack of maturity, something which many thought was a
thing of the past for the 25-year-old.
The way he has been castigated by the press for the incident – “An Idiot Abroad,” “Roonatic” and “Roo Fool!”, just a selection of the tabloids' choice words
– is not surprising given the nation’s need for a scapegoat to cover over the
cracks of a under performing national side, capable only of churning out dour wins in qualifying before stumbling at the major championships.
You'd hope that any potential Rooney absence will serve to dampen the unrealistic expectations that rear up every time England qualify for a major tournament. I predict this won't be the case though when the team heads out to the continent next summer. The usual display of national pride, shown through flying a service station-bought St George's flag from the back of a Ford Transit van, will quickly be replaced by burning effigies of Rooney when the inevitable happens and Capello's men suffer their usual disappointment.

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