Capello is sticking by his guns

Gabriel Agbonlahor is called up to the England squad after Darren Bent becomes the latest striker to pull out through injury.

The England midfielder Steven Gerrard is all smiles during a session at Arsenal's training ground in London Colney ahead of tonight's game with the Ukraine at Wembley.

New strip, new Wembley and a new striker to soothe concerns over a dwindling forward section. England tonight embark on a World Cup qualifying tie with the Ukraine that will roar with the great expectations of around 80,000 fans, and the Three Lions on the shirt. It is another epic moment in the Italian martinet Fabio Capello's vision of grandeur for his adopted nation.

It would not be a World Cup qualifier, and it would not be England without a high level of optimism swirling around such a heady occasion. If they are short on strikers, Capello's men are hardly experiencing a shortfall in confidence. They are seemingly trampling over their opponents in leading Group Six with a perfect winning run. Capello has faith in his own decisions. He yesterday added Gabriel Agbonlahor of Aston Villa to his squad after the Tottenham Hotspur forward Darren Bent pulled out citing injury.

Carlton Cole and Emile Heskey departed the squad with similar concerns after England shredded Slovakia 4-0 in a friendly on Saturday. Capello has turned to a player who has lost the form that saw him debut last November in the friendly win over Germany. Agbonlahor has scored only once in his past 16 games for Villa. He was omitted from the England Under-21 squad last week with a hamstring injury, but has been deemed fit enough to face the Ukraine. This would be a suitable time to get his show back on the road. He is preferred to the Newcastle United striker Michael Owen, a player who has scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for his country.

Peter Crouch will start as a lone striker with Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard offering able support from deep. A win over the Ukraine would leave England on 15 points with five games remaining in their quest to reach next year's finals in South Africa. "We decided to choose Agbonlahor for the next game," said Capello. "I spoke with the manager of Aston Villa. He has been training the last two or three days very well. He is OK now.

"In every interview I said the door, for all the players, is open. I chose Agbonlahor because he has played a lot of games. I respect Owen, but I am focused on the game of football." "Tailored by England" is the Umbro slogan for England's new shirts. This national side is "Crafted by Capello". The sodden surface against Slovakia did not detract from England's willingness to move the ball with some haste on a patchwork pitch. They imported a deluge of goals.

It is only 16 months since the much-maligned manager Steve McClaren raised a golf umbrella and peeked out from underneath it. It may as well have been a white flag as England lost to Croatia, and all hope of reaching Euro 2008 was lost. Capello's elevation to the post of national coach is beginning to look as an inspired choice by the Football Association as their error of judgement in appointing McClaren.

There is perhaps no position in world football that attracts as much calamity as this post. With his broken English, Capello appears to be applying common sense and sense of decorum to the impossible job. [e-mail]