Rooney WILL go to Euro 2012 confirm FA

Fabio Capello WILL select Wayne Rooney for Euro 2012, even if the Manchester United star misses the entire group phase.

Capello and the FA will appeal Rooney’s three-game ban for his sending off against Montenegro hoping to get at least the third match suspended.

But the England boss has given the clearest possible hint that Rooney will be in his 23-man party on duty in Poland and Ukraine.

He told a breakfast meeting at Wembley that the Old Trafford star is central to his hopes of redeeming the Three Lions' 2010 World Cup debacle.

Capello told Club Wembley members: “I think there is a better balance of youth and experience in the squad now than when I took the job.

“The young players are really good and ready to play with the seniors, and the experience of the seniors is really important.

“During the games, we need some leaders - people that know something. Only one younger player is like that. Jack Wilshere is incredible for one so young.

“But we need the experience of John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Scott Parker. You need this kind of player - plus Rooney, I hope.”

Wembley chiefs confirmed Capello has indicated he will take a gamble on Rooney - provided he is fit - even if the suspension is upheld by UEFA disciplinary chiefs when any appeal is heard next month.

And the England boss is convinced the squad he will take to Poland and Ukraine will be better equipped to delight the nation than the one he took to South Africa in 2010.

Capello added: “A lot of young players are improving. You need to wait until the end of the season to understand if the value of the young players will be at the top, to play with the seniors, but I think the quality of these players is really, really good.

“We had a gap between the oldest and the young. The players that were 25 or 26 years missed this period and now the young, like Wilshere, Jones, Welbeck, Sturridge, are really interesting. I think it will be a really good team for the Euros.

“I am happy with my players. I think we’ve got really good players and I have big confidence in them.

"There are not so many young players that are better in the world than English players. I think we need to have the winning mentality in this period."

Capello insisted he had learned some lessons from the World Cup.

England will be based in the major Polish city of Krakow, in contrast to their isolated World Cup camp outside Rustenburg, and the Italian will control his players with a lighter touch - although there will be no WAGs circus as there was at Baden Baden in 2006.

“In South Africa, we selected the best place to prepare. Everything was OK. I’ve read it was a boring period for the players but I saw what happened with the [England] rugby team - and their results were not so good.

“One group - too boring. The other - too happy. The best way is the result. When we win, everything is OK. When we lose - which I hope not - it will be wrong.

“But after the players were too tired last time, I need to change something at the end of the season to prepare for the Euros.

"It’s really, really important that the players relax after the season. If we arrive fresh and arrive fit, we will be competitive.”