Lampard and Terry will not walk back into England team, warns Capello

Fabio Capello last night warned John Terry and Frank Lampard they cannot expect to walk back into his England team.

The rejuvenated Capello spoke of a "new atmosphere" in his squad after the back-to-back wins over Bulgaria and Switzerland that put them in command of Euro 2012 Group G.

Capello even refused to confirm inspirational stand-in skipper Steven Gerrard will automatically hand the captain's armband back to Rio Ferdinand, although the Liverpol midfielder himself expects his seven-match reign is over.

But the Italian's clear statement that Gerrard will continue in his preferred central role, rather than shifting back to the left, and his praise for the contribution of Phil Jagielka, were a message that may concern the missing Chelsea pair.

Capello, who reiterated his intention to quit at the end of the European Championship campaign, said: "For a long time Steven Gerrard has played for Liverpool as a second forward but this year he is playing as a midfielder.

"In this position Steven is playing fantastic. He is strong in every moment and always good. He wins back the ball and then when he does, his passes are really important passes.

"I also do have central defensive options. Jagielka is good, Rio is good, Joleon Lescott played very well.

"John Terry is another important player. Lescott played before he was injured. Jagielka was the same.

"It is good for me to know more players and about the confidence of the players. They played very well in both games."

James Milner will miss next month's game with unexpected group rivals Montenegro through suspension but Capello's insistence that Gerrard will remain in the middle, and the acceptance that utilising him alongside Lampard as the central axis, does not work suggests Adam Johnson is likely to start on the left after his second successive scoring appearance from the left.

That would leave Lampard on the bench, with Terry possibly alongside him after Capello described Jagielka as "the driver of the back four".

What is evident, too, is that Capello is opting for change in his squad, although by evolution rather than revolution.

The England boss added: "It is important that we created a new group with a winning mentality.

"I understood immediately when these players trained together what they could do. It is a new atmosphere.

"It is a new atmosphere because when we finished after the Germany game the atmosphere was not so good.

These players did very well. They won two games and scored seven goals. Also, they created a lot of chances. This is a nice group but the door is open for all the players.

"Next time I have to decide. I have always said the door is open for all the players. I have to decide who will come in, after that I will decide who is in the first eleven."

Gerrard is a certainty to be in that side but having insisted last month that the armband was only on loan to the Liverpool man pending Ferdinand's return, Capello was decidedly more equivocal.

He said: "The captaincy is another question. For me the performance of the player is important, not the armband.

"It is not a priority for me. What is the priority is the players, the performance, the next game. We have six points. Now we have to play Montenegro, who also have six points. The armband is not important."