Aston Villa players expected to feature heavily in England squad

Mar 20 2011 by Gregg Evans, Sunday Mercury

VILLA’S array of English talent are waiting anxiously to find out if they have made it into Fabio Capello’s squad to take on Wales next Saturday.

The Italian has announced that Chelsea defender John Terry will be the captain for the Euro 2012 qualifying tie at the Millenium Stadium but the remainder of the squad still remains a mystery until this evening.

Capello may opt for five strikers, although even if he sticks with four Darren Bent is sure to be in the squad.

With the friendly against Ghana the following Tuesday in mind, Capello intends to announce a slightly larger squad of up to 25 names.

Some regulars may be rested for the Ghana match giving the fringe players a chance to impress.

For the recent friendly win over Denmark, Villa had four representatives in the squad. Bent, Stewart Downing, Ashley Young, and on-loan Tottenham full-back Kyle Walker were all called up.

Bent and Young did themselves no harm by scoring a goal each in the 2-1 victory in Copenhagen while Downing also made a notable contribution.

And Capello has become a frequent visitor to Villa Park this year to watch Gerard Houllier’s side – which is loaded with home grown players.