England blow for Cole

Joe Cole: set to miss out

Adrian Curtis|Evening Standard|In Gothenburg

14 April 2012

Chelsea's Joe Cole is set to be disappointed by being left out of Sven-Goran Eriksson's team for tonight's clash with Sweden.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who has struggled to claim a starting place at Stamford Bridge since his move from West Ham, is likely to be omitted in favour of Celtic's Alan Thompson.

Thompson is poised to make his debut on the left side of midfield in a team, which also includes Liverpool's Jamie Carragher at left-back.

Eriksson, who is experimenting with players in one of the last warm-up matches before June's European Championships in Portugal, is also poised to field an inexperienced striking partnership in Everton's Wayne Rooney and Aston Villa's Darius Vassell.

Nicky Butt and Steven Gerrard fill their usual positions in central midfield with Owen Hargreaves lining up on the right.

Cole was hoping for the chance to impress Eriksson alongside that midfield trio but the Swede is believed to favour looking at 30-year-old Thompson, who got his call-up because of the absence of regulars Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Kieron Dyer.

Thompson said yesterday: "I'm naturally leftsided and there haven't been too many players who have been naturally left-sided in the team over the past few years. Some managers like to play people out of position, but this is a chance for Sven to look at some new faces."

Eriksson is likely to use Cole at some stage as one of his many substitutions.

England fans have been on their best behaviour in Gothenburg. Around 1,000 fans were in the city last night but police reported no trouble.

Another 2,000 fans are expected to arrive today but police do not expect any problems with 2,100 banning orders already preventing potential troublemakers from travelling abroad.

Meanwhile, Eriksson expressed fears that the Premiership's gruelling fixture pile-up could again put England's quest for glory at a major championships in danger.

Eriksson, a firm supporter of a winter break in England, labelled the Premiership's latest fixture alterations as 'crazy' with Arsenal now set to play four massive games in just eight days.

He said: "If that is their football programme then I don't understand it. It is crazy."

Probable team: James (West Ham), P Neville (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Woodgate (Newcastle), Carragher (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Butt (Manchester United), Gerrard (Liverpool), Thompson (Celtic), Vassell (Aston Villa), Rooney (Everton)

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England blow for Cole

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