Capello to keep an eye on Hargreaves
However, Dick Advocaat’s men are without talented goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, absent through injury, with Vyacheslav Malafeev likely to start between the posts.
Ireland travel to Moscow for a potentially decisive game on Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile Fabio Capello has confirmed Owen Hargreaves could still have a role to play with England.
Hargreaves’ move to Manchester City was the shock of transfer deadline day. Now 30, the midfielder has barely played for three seasons after operations to try and cure a chronic tendinitis complaint.
Yet, much like Michael Owen two years previously, unconventional tactics worked, with Roberto Mancini showing enough faith in Hargreaves to offer him a one-year contract.
Now Capello has weighed in, confirming a player who won the last of his 42 caps against the USA in May 2008 could yet have an international future.
“I hope he will be fit,” said the England boss. He was an important player for England. When he played he did really well.
“I hope he will be really good in a short time, for Manchester City and the national team.”
Capello is convinced Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick against Arsenal last week can provide the perfect medicine for an end to his international goal drought against Bulgaria in Sofia tonight.
England’s number one striker heads into the Euro 2012 qualifier with just one goal to his name in two years.
With a groin injury threatening the participation of Darren Bent and neither Andy Carroll nor Jermain Defoe currently regarded as first choice for their clubs, there could be more pressure than usual on Rooney to perform.
But Capello feels the injection of confidence the 25-year-old gained last weekend, in addition to the boost provided by United’s dazzling array of younger players, leaves him on the verge of making a big impact for the Three Lions.
“Goals are a fantastic medicine for a forward,” said Capello. Now is a good moment for him.”
“Those young players have put something different on the pitch.”
The big question for Capello is how many of Rooney’s Red Devils team-mates he should call upon.
Ashley Young is a certainty and Chris Smalling appears more likely than not to make his England debut.
There is also a growing feeling that Phil Jones may be handed his first cap too given the excellence of his performances during United’s opening three Premier League games.
It means the player most likely to miss out is Tom Cleverley as England look to gain the win that would leave them in pole position to qualify as Group G winners.
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