Captain named next week

Fabio Capello will name his permanent captain for the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers on the eve of England's next friendly against the Czech Republic on 20 August.

Capello has experimented with a number of players in his first four games in charge with Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Steven Gerrard all being given the chance to wear the armband and stake their claim to be captain for the national side.

The England Manager is relishing the chance to meet up with the England players again when they prepare for the Czech Republic friendly at Wembley and believes his new leader will help the Three Lions qualify for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Capello, speaking at the The FA/McDonalds National Football Festival said: "I will announce the captain the day before the [Czech Republic] game and I will speak with the captain just a moment before the announcement is made, at the team hotel.

"The next game is important because we will be together again for the first time in the new season. Against the Czechs, the first eleven will be the best for me at this moment.

"After the games against the USA and Trinidad and Tobago, when we stayed for ten days together, it's very important for me to be together another time.

"The match against the Czechs is also important because it's a good test to know which players are very fit at this moment. The Andorra and Croatia matches are very close.

"We will qualify for the World Cup in South Africa. I am sure of it.

"We're a very good team. For us, the opponent is not important, the important thing is what we do."

Capello will name his squad for the Czech Republic game on Saturday night and is still waiting to hear on the fitness of influential duo Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney.

The England Manager believes it is vital for his squad to have played during the pre-season and knows it will be crucial for him to assess the player's fitness when they join up for the game next week.

Capello added: "I announce the squad on Saturday after the first day of the Premier League. But the most important games will be played on Sunday.

"Gerrard and Rooney are very important players and I don't know whether they will be fit for this game. I hope they will be fit for Andorra and Croatia and we'll be able to play them in the squad.

"It's very important for me that the players that I decide to put in the squad are playing [for their clubs] and are getting games.

"It's impossible to be fit if you don't play in pre-season games. This is a game that is good for me and us because I can see exactly the general condition of the players.

"Before the next squad is announced, some will play two games and others three games - Liverpool and Arsenal will have the qualification for the Champions League, and others will have played in UEFA qualification.

"It's very important."