Even if Jamie Carragher would prefer to miss a penalty for England rather than Liverpool, Fabio Capello must now be wishing a player who has put club before country had not retired from international football.
The days when England boasted top-class centre halves in abundance appear to be over.
John Terry's absence from tomorrow's encounter with Kazakhstan has forced Capello to turn to players he would probably prefer to avoid for a World Cup qualifier.
Matthew Upson has never proved himself at the very highest level and Joleon Lescott, strangely off-form this season, reported for duty after another difficult weekend for Everton.
Wes Brown is a third option but will probably remain at right back even though he seems to have been demoted to third choice at Manchester United.
It was not so long ago that competition for places was so intense that players like Brown, not to mention more proven internationals, could not even be sure of a place in the squad.
It was not so long ago that one England centre half found two other England centre halves ahead of him in the Arsenal side. For Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Steve Bould there was no room for error at Highbury.
Keown and Gareth Southgate spent the entire 2002 World Cup watching Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell from the bench and Carragher often had more chance of securing a place at right back. Never mind that he rarely enjoyed playing there.
If that was all that was going, he would take it. Sven Goran Eriksson had been spoiled for choice. He favoured Campbell and Ferdinand for much of his tenure but also had Terry, Ledley King, Carragher and Jonathan Woodgate to call on, not to mention Southgate and Keown. He even considered Anthony Gardner and Upson.
The days when England boasted top-class centre halves in abundance appear to be over.
John Terry's absence from tomorrow's encounter with Kazakhstan has forced Capello to turn to players he would probably prefer to avoid for a World Cup qualifier.
Matthew Upson has never proved himself at the very highest level and Joleon Lescott, strangely off-form this season, reported for duty after another difficult weekend for Everton.
Wes Brown is a third option but will probably remain at right back even though he seems to have been demoted to third choice at Manchester United.
It was not so long ago that competition for places was so intense that players like Brown, not to mention more proven internationals, could not even be sure of a place in the squad.
It was not so long ago that one England centre half found two other England centre halves ahead of him in the Arsenal side. For Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Steve Bould there was no room for error at Highbury.
Keown and Gareth Southgate spent the entire 2002 World Cup watching Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell from the bench and Carragher often had more chance of securing a place at right back. Never mind that he rarely enjoyed playing there.
If that was all that was going, he would take it. Sven Goran Eriksson had been spoiled for choice. He favoured Campbell and Ferdinand for much of his tenure but also had Terry, Ledley King, Carragher and Jonathan Woodgate to call on, not to mention Southgate and Keown. He even considered Anthony Gardner and Upson.
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