Capello Names England Squad Ahead Of Euro Qualifiers

Jermain Defoe was the surprise inclusion of the England squad ahead of the Three Lion’s first Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

The striker was supposed to have groin surgery after Tottenham’s resounding victory over Young Boys booked their place in the Champions League group stages but the surgery has been delayed yet again. Defoe is joined up top by his club striking partner Peter Crouch. John Terry, Frank Lampard and Bobby Zamora were ruled out due to injury and Matthew Upson is given another chance in central defense after falling out of Capello’s favor. England face Bulgaria at Wembley this Friday before traveling to Switzerland next Tuesday.

Full England Squad:

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson, Ben Foster, Joe Hart

Defenders: Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, Matthew Upson

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Steven Gerrard, Adam Johnson, James Milner, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Young

Forwards: Darren Bent, Carlton Cole, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney

Fabiano Spurns Tottenham

Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano has decided to stay at La Liga side Sevilla instead of making the jump to Tottenham.

Speculation was abound last week when Sevilla, who’s business model depends on Champions League play, was eliminated in qualification by Braga. Fabiano joined Sevilla in 2005 and signed a two-year contract extension this morning.

“It’s a very happy day. This is my home, I’ve been here six seasons and I will try to continue scoring goals and continue making history for Sevilla. It’s a very special day for me,” said Fabiano, who has scored 95 goals for the club.

Grant: It Could Take 10-15 Games For West Ham To Get Going

West Ham United are on the verge of their worst start to a Premier League campaign in their history but manager Avram Grant has told supporters it could take a little longer for the Hammers to find their legs.

“It’s only the beginning of the season so we cannot make any conclusions after three weeks,” he told the club’s official website. “We must wait for 10-15 games to see our direction. Chelsea is a tough fixture and I can’t ever remember a team at our level having such tough fixtures at the beginning of the season. But these are fixtures we have been given and, in football, anything can happen. We have two weeks to think about things. We can become stronger.”