Capello knows his No 1 choice insists James

James, Robert Green and Joe Hart are vying to get the nod from Capello in a mixture of experience and youth.

Thirty-nine-year-old James won his 50th cap against Japan in Graz on Sunday in what was his first international start for 13 months.

Green has started eight of the past 11 internationals since James was initially laid low by injury after being the first choice during the initial part of Capello's reign.

But Hart has also impressed, during a successful loan season with Birmingham and when given 45 minutes action in each of the two friendly internationals with Mexico and Japan.

James has a glint in his eye and cannot resist breaking out into a broad smile when asked about the goalkeeping position.

But it is a different scenario for England to be heading into a major tournament with the goalkeeping slot apparently wide open.

It is in contrast to David Seaman and Paul Robinson being virtually automatic first choices in recent finals.

James said: "Is it the most open in terms of who will be goalkeeper? Possibly. I don't know.

"I believe the manager already knows. I really believe he does.

"Do I know? Even if I did, I wouldn't say. I just think he knows.

"He has given all of us a run-out in the two warm-up games with Mexico and Japan.

"But that was just to make sure everyone is right and had some game time for the tournament. There are no more friendlies now. That's it really."

James added: "Does my experience make it easier to cope with the uncertainty? Don't forget, I'm also quite experienced at being a No 3 with England.

OTHER WORLD CUP SQUADS

Ivory Coast boss Sven Goran Eriksson has named an attacking squad including six strikers for the World Cup in South Africa.

Chelsea duo Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou, Aruna Dindane, Seydou Doumbia, Gervinho and Emmanuel Kone all made the cut.

The seven players who have been omitted are goalkeeper Vincent Angban, West Brom defender Abdoulaye Meite, midfielders Gilles Yapi Yapo and Emerse Fae, and forwards Bakari Kone, Kanga Akale and Lassina.

Ivory Coast: B Barry (Lokeren), D Yeboah (ASEC Mimosas), A Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya); S Bamba (Hibernian), A Boka (Stuttgart), E Eboue (Arsenal), S Tiene (Valenciennes), K Toure (Manchester City), G Demel (Hamburg), S Gohouri (Wigan), B Angoua (Valenciennes); D Zokora (Seville), Romaric (Seville), C Tiote (FC Twente), Y Toure (Barcelona), J Gosso (Monaco), A Kader Keita (Galatasaray); A Dindane (Lekhwiya), S Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), D Drogba (Chelsea, S Kalou (Chelsea), Gervinho (Lille), E Kone (CFR Cluj).

Pepe has been included in Portugal's final 23-man World Cup squad despite having been out of action since December.

The Real Madrid defender has been working his way back from a knee injury suffered against Valencia on December 12.

But he passed a fitness test with the national team ahead of yesterday's squad.

Pepe's inclusion means there is no place in the squad for Deportivo La Coruna defender Ze Castro, chosen by coach Carlos Queiroz.

Portugal: Eduardo (Braga), Beto (Porto), D Fernandes (Iraklis); Duda (Malaga), B Alves (Porto), P Ferreira (Chelsea), M (Valencia), R Carvalho (Chelsea), Rolando (Porto), Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), Pepe (Real Madrid), R Costa (Lille); Deco (Chelsea), Tiago (Atletico Madrid), R Meireles (Porto), P Mendes (Sporting Lisbon), M Veloso (Sporting Lisbon); Nani (Manchester United), S Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid), C Ronaldo (Real Madrid), H Almeida (Werder Bremen), Danny (Zenit St Petersburg), Liedson (Sporting Lisbon).

Italy have dropped Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi from their 23-man World Cup squad.

Rossi, who played in last summer's Confederations Cup, has been cut by coach Marcello Lippi along with goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, defender Mattia Cassani, midfielder Andrea Cossu and striker Marco Borriello.

The decision to drop Rossi means there will be no foreign-based players in Italy's World Cup party. Italy play Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia.

Italy: G Buffon (Juventus), M De Sanctis (Napoli), F Marchetti (Cagliari); G Zambrotta (Milan), F Cannavaro (Juventus), G Chiellini (Juventus), C Maggio (Napoli), L Bonucci (Bari), D Criscito (Genoa), S Bocchetti (Genoa), A Pirlo (AC Milan), G Gattuso (Milan), D De Rossi (Roma), R Montolivo (Fiorentina), M Camoranesi (Juventus), A Palombo (Sampdoria), C Marchisio (Juventus), S Pepe (Udinese); F Quagliarella (Napoli), V Iaquinta (Juventus), A Di Natale (Udinese), A Gilardino (Fiorentina), G Pazzini (Sampdoria).

South Africa's all-time leading goalscorer Benni McCarthy has been left out of the Bafana Bafana squad for the finals.

West Ham striker McCarthy has struggled for fitness in recent months and has been criticised for being overweight.

He was one of five players cut from a 28-man training squad with Rowen Fernandez, defenders Bryce Moon and Innocent Mdledle and Franklin Cale also omitted.

South Africa: I Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), M Josephs (Orlando Pirates), S Walters (Maritzburg United); S Gaxa (Sundowns), A Ngcongca (Genk), A Mokoena (Portsmouth), M Booth (Sundowns), B Khumalo (SuperSport United), S Sangweni (Golden Arrows), T Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), L Thwala (Orlando Pirates); T Modise (Orlando Pirates), L Davids (Ajax Cape Town), R Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), M Sibaya (Rubin Kazan), T Khuboni (Golden Arrows), K Dikgacoi (Fulham), S Pienaar (Everton), S Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs); Surprise Moriri (Sundowns), Bernard Parker (FC Twente), Katlego Mphela (Sundowns), S Nomvethe (Moroka Swallows).

Giourkas Seitaridis and Christos Patsatzoglou have proved their fitness to gain inclusion in Greece's 23-man squad.

German coach Otto Rehhagel had concerns over the pair, with former Porto defender Seitaridis playing just eight games for Panathinaikos this season while a knee injury kept the versatile Patsatzoglou, who plays for Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia, out of the majority of the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Greece: M Sifakis (A Salonika), A Tzorvas (Panathinaikos), K Chalkias (AEK Athens); G Seitaridis (P'thinaikos), L Vyntra (P'thinaikos), V Moras (Bologna), S Papastathopoulos (Genoa), S Kyrgiakos (Liverpool), A Papadopoulos (Olympiacos), V Torosidis (Olympiacos), N Spiropoulos (P'thinaikos), S Malezas (PAOK Salonika); K Katsouranis (P'thinaikos), A Tziolis (Siena), G Karagounis (P'thinaikos), S Ninis (P'thinaikos), C Patsatzoglou (O Nicosia), S Prittas (A Salonika); A Charisteas (Nurnberg), D Salpingidis (P'thinaikos), P Kapetanos (S Bucharest), F Gekas (E Frankfurt), G Samaras (Celtic).

Germany coach Joachim Low has left Andreas Beck out of his final squad for the World Cup.

The Hoffenheim full-back missed out as Low reduced his party for South Africa from 24 to 23. The coach had already seen his provisional squad reduced by injuries to Michael Ballack, Christian Trasch and Heiko Westermann.

The 23-year-old was placed on standby in case Germany pick up any injuries.

Germany: M Neuer (Schalke), T Wiese (Werder Bremen), H Butt (Bayern Munich); D Aogo (Hamburg), H Badstuber (Bayern Munich), J Boateng (Hamburg), A Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), M Jansen (Hamburg), P Lahm (Bayern Munich), P Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), S Tasci (Stuttgart); S Khedira (Stuttgart), T Kroos (Bayer Leverkusen), M Marin (Werder Bremen), M Ozil (Werder Bremen), B Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), P Trochowski (Hamburg); Cacau (Stuttgart), M Gomez (Bayern Munich), S Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), M Klose (Bayern Munich), T Muller (Bayern Munich), L Podolski (Cologne).

KEWELL READY TO JOIN IN WORLD CUP

Harry Kewell is set to take the next step in his World Cup preparations with the Socceroo striker expected to join team training in Johannesburg tomorrow.

Coach Pim Verbeek told reporters in South Africa that Kewell, who has been struggling with a groin injury, had impressed him greatly in the past few days and that it was only a matter of time before he was able to muck in with his team-mates.

The former Leeds United midfielder won't play against Denmark today but will then step up his schedule.

"The main thing is I've got the utmost confidence in the way we are going to set up for the World Cup.

"That is the case, be it the starting keeper or starting centre-half – but, whoever is not starting, will also be well prepared.

"For the size of the squad, 23, there could be opportunities for anyone in there.

"One of Mr Capello's skills is making sure everyone is right and ready so it should be interesting."

England needed two own goals to overcome Japan in their final international before facing USA.

But James felt the overall performance was acceptable enough in the context of the bigger picture for what lies ahead in South Africa.

He said: "It was a good win. The first half, going a goal down, wasn't ideal but other than the corner and the goal they didn't have much of a threat in the first half.

"In the second half we opened up a lot more, created a lot of chances, the keeper has made some decent saves and in the end we've won by two own goals.

"In reality, the keeper has done well enough and the fact we created enough chances in the game should be a very positive thing to take from it."

England captain Rio Ferdinand says he does not envy Capello having to choose between the three goalkeepers.

"It is different to what we have had going into tournaments before," conceded Ferdinand.

"In the past we have always known who the goalkeeper was going to be.

"But that is part and parcel of playing tournament football. You never know what is going to get thrown up in front of you and you just have to deal with it.

"The thing is, they have all done well, so I wouldn't want to be the manager picking the goalkeeper.

"They all have different attributes that are worthwhile having."

Ferdinand would be happy to place his trust in Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to get their central midfield axis right for England at the World Cup.

Although Gareth Barry's ankle injury is set to ease sufficiently to let him make the trip to South Africa, the USA match on June 12 is likely to come too soon.

In the past, Capello has turned to Michael Carrick to fill the role.

But against Mexico and Japan, Gerrard's presence in that slot made a vast difference to England's performance.

"I have never had any doubt they could play together," Ferdinand said.

"They both did it against Japan. It worked well and we looked very dangerous. Whether it is just down to those two or whether other players have to do stuff I don't know, but good players can play anywhere and with anyone."