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The big news of the day isn’t the woeful one-all draw between Chelsea and Tottenham, and not the disappointing Liverpool being held nil-nil at Aston Villa.

Fabio Capello has picked his first World Cup qualifier squad - and there is no Michael Owen.

With two away games against Andorra next Saturday evening and Croatia the following Wednesday, Capello has dropped England’s most prolific goalscorer of the last 18 years.

It’s a remarkable move, and one that may well hasten Michael Owen’s departure from Newcastle United before the transfer deadline on Monday evening.

The rest of the England squad is pretty much as you were - save for the shock inclusion of Fulham’s Jimmy Bullard. The 29 year old was facing the end of his career two years ago following a cruciate ligament knee injury, and his place in the squad comes courtesy of Steven Gerrard’s withdrawal due to an operation.

England’s form under Capello hasn’t been anything to write home about, and the loss of Owen and Gerrard doesn’t give the expectant England fans anything to be happy about…

England squad to play Andorra (September 6th) and Croatia (September 10th):
Robinson (Blackburn), James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham); Lescott (Everton), Bridge (Chelsea), A Cole (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Brown (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Johnson (Portsmouth), Upson (West Ham); Barry (Aston Villa), J Cole (Chelsea), Lampard (Chelsea), Bullard (Fulham), Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Downing (Middlesbrough), Bentley (Tottenham), Jenas (Tottenham); Walcott (Arsenal), Rooney (Manchester United), Defoe (Portsmouth), Heskey (Wigan).

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