Capello looking for returning Rooney to prosper with Carroll

The Three Lions are due to be in action in February but the planned friendly fixture has become a bit of a farce with the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen booked without it being established whether the Danish Football Association (DBU) were happy with the move.

The DBU eventually decided not to allow a friendly to take place on February 9 as their national team was in action, albeit away from home, and requested the fixture be moved forward 24 hours.

Argentina were due to be England's opponents, but they pulled out because it was felt there would be insufficient preparation time for players travelling from South America.

The FA are now searching for another opponent, but it is still not clear how many England players will be available for the clash on Tuesday, February 8 because of key Premier League fixtures just 48 hours earlier.

However, when Capello does get his players together he has high hopes for a Carroll-Rooney axis, which he believes could bring the best out of the Three Lions and add a new dimension to the way the team plays.

"They will be a good combination," said Capello.

"Not only is Carroll really good in the air, he has good movement, he can bring other players into the game when he receives the ball, he can dribble and is always looking for the goal.

"When I saw him playing for Newcastle against Arsenal he surprised me and this week he confirmed what I saw."

The delight for Capello was that Carroll played exactly the same way against France at Wembley on Wednesday as he did for Newcastle against the Gunners when he scored the only goal.

Capello has never made any secret of his preference to have an attack spearheaded by a more physically imposing player than Rooney.

"Everyone knows that when Rooney is fit and in good form, he is one of the best players in the world," said Capello.

"He makes a difference. Some players are too important."