Green set to be England's World Cup No.1

Banks, Shilton, Seaman, Robinson. And now, it seems, Robert Green.

Fabio Capello’s decision to entrust England’s World Cup fortunes in the occasionally careless hands of the West Ham goalkeeper represents the biggest gamble the Italian has made since taking over the “poisoned chalice”.

But as Capello gave the broadest hint that Green has made himself No.1 for South Africa, ahead of David James and rookie Joe Hart, the reality of England’s World Cup ambitions was evidenced.

Green was not to blame for Mohamed Zidan’s goal for Egypt. Indeed, he has not been to blame for any of the seven goals he has conceded in his nine appearances for the Three Lions.

Yet Green, at 30, has made just four competitive appearances, has kept just two clean sheets - against Kazakhstan and Andorra - and suffered the indignity of becoming the first England keeper to receive a red card in Ukraine in October.

To make him only England’s fifth World Cup starting keeper since 1966 is a risk, one Capello is now poised to take.

Capello said: “I know the value of James. Green needs to play more games - if you remember the last game he played, in Ukraine, when he only played for 10 minutes or so. He has to play more games for this reason.

“I have faith in him, yes. He is good, he is a good goalkeeper.”

Pressed on whether Green was now first choice, Capello initially vacillated, insisting it was “too early" but when reminded that he had stated in October that he knew his No.1, and asked if his mind had been changed, he smiled before conceding: “Mmm. Perhaps!"

So that answers that one and indeed the last pieces of Capello’s World Cup jigsaw are slowly being slotted into place.

The England boss said he now has 30 players which he will whittle down to his final 23 after the May friendlies with Mexico and Japan, effectively the squad on duty this week - minus Ryan Shawcross - plus those missing through injury to body or, in the case of Wayne Bridge, mind.

Theo Walcott, despite his failure to make a mark against Egypt, remains in the frame, although more because, with doubts over the fitness of Aaron Lennon, the Arsenal man possesses that most vital of commodities, pace.

Capello, who knows Shaun Wright-Phillips pressed his case far more cogently at Wembley, said: “Theo is one of the faster players we have on the right wing. I remember the performance of Theo when he was fit, before he was injured. He has time to recover that form.

“When you don’t play a lot of games, then when you have the chance to start a game you try to play, to do impossible things. But you have to play with confidence like we saw with certain important players. Theo has time before we decide the squad. By the time I decide, I hope he is fit.”

Capello’s more devout hopes are over the fitness of Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole and Lennon, although Leighton Baines did enough to make him the current back-up to the Chelsea left-back and Michael Carrick reinforced his claims.

And any remaining doubts over the striking places were ended by Peter Crouch’s double off the bench.

Jermain Defoe’s struggles to establish any rapport with Wayne Rooney emphasised it will be a traditional little and large act up front, with Rooney and his preferred partner Emile Heskey the starters against the USA in Rustenburg.

“Defoe and Rooney can play together but some things didn’t go the way I wanted them to go,” added the manager.

“With Crouch we played differently and the movement of the players was much more harmonic, although it helped that we pressed more and won the ball, like we did against Croatia in September, higher up the pitch.

“Sometimes, when you play against a team like Egypt whose defenders are not so tall, you want to play with two quick players. Sometimes you can play Crouch, sometimes Defoe, sometimes Heskey. I have a lot of different solutions.

“But I think differently about Crouch now. He has improved a lot. It helps that Tottenham do not only play long ball. They play football, try to pass the ball always, to play with a maximum of one or two touches. That is an improvement and I can see it is now not easy to win the ball back off Crouch.”

And Capello promised far more improvement when he gathers his players for real in May.

He said: “It will be important to play and practice different styles and different positions on the pitch. Also to prepare the set-pieces. I didn’t prepare them this week but when we play in the World Cup we will be ready.” We will have to be.