England drop Rooney and Ferdinand as Capello experiments in friendlies

The pair have both been elevated from Stuart Pearce’s Under-21 squad after excelling for Chelsea and Everton respectively this season.

As expected, John Terry is also named, whilst Manchester United duo Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney are omitted from a 25-man squad.

There is also a return for Aston Villa’s in-form Gabriel Agbonlahor, at the expense of Andy Carroll, who has struggled for consistency at Liverpool this season.

Reds full-back Glen Johnson returns from injury, forcing Manchester City’s Micah Richards out of Capello’s squad.

Joleon Lescott is back too, with Ashley Young the fourth member of the squad that faced Montenegro last month to miss out, this time through injury.

As usual, there was no captain named, and it remains open to debate whether Terry will wear the armband against the world champions this weekend.

However, Capello has insisted such a move would be for footballing reasons only, given he has already decided Terry is “innocent until proven guilty” of the racism allegations that have been levelled against him and are now the subject of both police and FA investigations.

The reaction of a sell-out crowd on Saturday cannot be predicted with any certainty, and Capello has already suggested the likes of Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka and Lescott may be presented with the chance to excel against a side that has proved itself the best in the world for the past four years.

Ferdinand will be asked to work on his fitness, whilst Rooney was told in a private meeting with Capello on Thursday that he will be excused duty and may, with United’s permission, attend an eventual UEFA hearing into the three-match ban he picked up for his dismissal in Podgorica.

None of this will have any effect on Sturridge.

The 22-year-old has come into his own at Stamford Bridge after a productive loan spell with Bolton last season.

Sturridge has scored five goals for Chelsea this term and started Saturday’s win at Blackburn Rovers.

“He’s an interesting player and a player who scores goals,” said Capello. “I saw him play right wing, left wing and centre forward. He has improved a lot.”

Rodwell has been spoken of as a potential England player for some time.

However, it is only this season that the 20-year-old has been able to put his injury problems behind him. And whilst the Toffeemen may be having a difficult campaign, he is standing out.

Former Sheffield Wednesday loan striker Agbonlahor has not been able to add to the last of his three caps, won against Belarus 25 months ago, having twice withdrawn through injury since.

Remarkably, every time he has played for his country, it has been from the start, including the last time England faced Spain, a defeat in Seville in February 2009.

The 25-year-old does seem to be blossoming under new Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish though, drawing warm praise from the Scot for his goalscoring performance in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Norwich.

“In that kind of form, Gabby has got to have caught the eye of Fabio,” said McLeish.

“Gabby has to take confidence from the way he’s playing and the extra expectations on him to deliver in every game. That’s what you expect of a top player.”

Manchester City defender Richards is determined to bounce back despite this latest snub.

Capped 11 times by Steve McClaren, who made him England’s youngest-ever defender when he handed him a debut against Holland as a 17-year-old in 2006, Richards has been almost totally ignored by Capello.

Former Leeds schoolboy Richards made an appearance in last season’s friendly defeat to France but appears to have slipped behind Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in the pecking order with both Manchester United centre-halves offered the chance to impress at right-back.

“To be fair when I first got called up I was playing centre-half for City,” he recalled. “I then played right-back for England, so I can’t really complain – it happens.

“Jones and Smalling have been doing well for Manchester United. If the manager wants to give them a chance it is up to him, there is no point in me moaning about it.”

However, as Richards concedes, there is little else he could be doing at present. After all, he has established himself as Roberto Mancini’s first-choice right-back in a team that is unquestionably the Premier League’s best at present.

While Capello still has reservations about Richards’s maturity, Mancini named Richards captain at QPR on Saturday.

“I must be doing something right,” Richards shrugged.

“As I’ve said before, it’s up to Capello. If he wants to give me a shout I am always there.”

England squad to face Spain and Sweden is: Hart (Man City), Carson (Bursaspor), Stockdale (Ipswich); G Johnson (Liverpool), Jones (Man Utd), Cahill (Bolton), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Chelsea), Baines (Everton), Jagielka (Everton), Lescott (Man City), Walker (Tottenham); Lampard (Chelsea), Rodwell (Everton), Downing (Liverpool), Barry (Man City), A Johnson (Man City), Milner (Man City), Parker (Tottenham), Walcott (Arsenal); Bent (Aston Villa), Sturridge (Chelsea), Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Zamora (Fulham), Welbeck (Man Utd).