Owen Sweats Over Place While Young is Put Through Paces

Michael Owen may be the most noteworthy omission from Fabio Capello's first England line-up tonight: the team's most experienced and prolific striker is far from certain to be included in the starting XI for the friendly against Switzerland.

Despite a first Premier League goal for Newcastle in four months on Sunday and the timely public backing of his club manager, the former England head coach Kevin Keegan, Owen may not initially have the opportunity to add to his 88 caps and 40 goals against the Swiss this evening. Capello has favored playing one up front in training this week and Wayne Rooney is likely to be given the nod.

Capello, typically, will only announce his team to the squad just before the departure from their Hertfordshire hotel for the sell-out match at Wembley. "As a habit, I have a last meeting before leaving the training ground, giving the players my last instructions, and then I tell the team who is going to play just before we leave the hotel," said the Italian. He gave no pointers yesterday other than to confirm Steven Gerrard as his captain.

Yet he offered an intriguing insight into his possible thinking in the final tactical training session at London Colney. He employed a rough 4-2-3-1 formation - a system he has used in club management and which has proved successful among international teams, most notably France - with Rooney backed up by an attacking trio of David Bentley (right), Joe Cole (center) and Ashley Young (left).

Starting with that trio would be innovative given that Young, whom Capello has watched impress on numerous occasions with Aston Villa, and Bentley have one and two caps respectively. Capello also used Wes Brown at right-back in preference to Micah Richards and paired Rio Ferdinand with Matthew Upson in the center.

The coach has been impressed with Richards in central defense but he is understood to have qualms about the teenager's abilities as a full-back and may start with Brown tonight. The 28-year-old has been deputizing for Gary Neville at right-back for Manchester United in recent weeks.

Capello will take a warm-up at the team's hotel this morning before informing the players of his selection. Owen's omission from the starting line-up would follow David Beckham's from the squad. The former England captain - still on 99 caps - admitted yesterday that he had feared he would be dropped. "I half expected it because I know what Fabio Capello is like as a manager," he said. "If he thinks you're not fit and ready to play then you won't be in the team. I totally respect and understand that."