Capello: England strong collectively

The Italian might be juggling words in a foreign tongue. However, the meaning is obvious.

It does not matter whether you are talking about Emile Heskey's brute strength, the guile of Wayne Rooney, or even the problematic goalkeeping position. No-one is irreplaceable.

"The key player doesn't exist," said Capello. "We can see how important Emile Heskey is. And it is not just about England with Wayne Rooney, it is Manchester United as well.

"Some players are really important but there are no key players."

The desire for the collective is the reason why Capello has been in touch with every single player he has called up to an England squad since his first game against Switzerland 18 months ago and invited them to Wednesday's final World Cup qualifier against Belarus.

Some of the 55 invitations have gone to players who have no chance of going to South Africa next year, men like Peterborough goalkeeper Joe Lewis and Hull's midfielder Jimmy Bullard. Even Michael Owen has got one.

The point is this. England have achieved. And everyone has played their part.

"All the players who were with us, in friendlies and qualifiers, were important," said Capello.

"They were supporting us at every moment. They helped us to win every game to get to South Africa.

"I have not forgotten these players. Some of them were only here once but they were always in my mind and in my thoughts.

"We are grateful for what they have done for us. This is their reward."

It is the attitude that will ensure no complacency will creep into the England camp, from tomorrow's clash with Ukraine right through to World Cup D-day in June.

No player is safe. Not David James, who is expected to start in the Dnipro Arena but is facing a renewed threat to his place from Robert Green, who has performed solidly in the last five internationals while the Portsmouth man has been out, and not Heskey either.

Heskey has been widely acknowledged as indispensable to Capello because of the ability he has to get the best out of Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

Capello himself noted his qualities as he was placing the "very important" tag on him.

Yet those same qualities do not seem to apply to Martin O'Neill, who has named Heskey in a Premier League starting line-up just once this season.

It has forced Capello to search for alternatives. And, Heskey be warned, he has found some.

"We have a lot of solutions," he said. "Carlton Cole is doing very well this season and played well for us in Holland.

"He has the same style as Heskey. And so does Darren Bent, who has also been with us."

It ensures that, in every position, a challenge awaits tomorrow, if not from the Ukraine, who have plenty of incentive to win themselves given failure will almost certainly hand a play-off spot to Croatia, then from the manager.

"The players have been training very well," he said. "Very hard.

"But I want to see how they play. It's a really good test to understand what happens when it's not really important to win because, for me, it is important.

"I am putting them under pressure. I don't know whether they feel it but I hope so.

"I don't like to play any game without intensity and courage."

In declaring it "not a friendly", Capello is speaking a real and imagined truth.

Friendlies will follow Wednesday, against Brazil in Qatar next month, then another in March, against opposition that probably will not be agreed until after December's World Cup draw in Cape Town.

Maintaining the momentum being built up now, through the rigours of domestic combat, until the spring, will not be easy. Keeping players fit still less so.

But Capello is adamant about the need for fit players.

"Absolutely," he replied, when asked whether all 23 men in his final squad must be fighting fit, then: "Is absolutely not enough?" when questioned again.

"We have to prepare something different to make sure it doesn't happen.

"The month of May will be really interesting for us, depending on which clubs play in the FA Cup final and the Champions League final."

In the national interest, let us all hope for Wolves against Fulham and Barcelona versus Real Madrid then.