Bad-boy Ashley is facing Capello axe

Fabio Capello is seriously considering leaving Chelsea defender Ashley Cole out of his England starting line-up to meet France tonight.

Capello will not reveal the team to his players until a few hours before kick-off but it is under-stood that Cole, who attracted severe criticism for his lack of self-discipline in last week's turbulent London derby against Tottenham, is coming under increasing pressure to keep his place.

The player pushing Cole all the way is not Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge but Everton's emerging star Joleon Lescott, who has been outstanding this season and particularly impressed Capello in a recent match against Fulham.

Capello is keen that his England players set the right standards both on and off the pitch and he will not have been impressed by Cole's antics at White Hart Lane last week - when he turned his back on referee Mike Riley - despite the fact that he later apologised.

The England coach, who also confirmed that David Beckham would win his 100th cap in the Stade de France, sprang a surprise by naming Rio Ferdinand as captain but is expected to give John Terry the armband in either of the next two matches, against the United States at Wembley or on the trip to Trinidad.

Terry did not help his cause with his England boss after his Bentley was pictured parked in a disabled bay in Esher last week and he then led the protests against Riley at Tottenham.