PLAYER FOCUS: JACK WILSHERE

With the European Championships a mere spot on the horizon there are literally hundreds of players in with a shot of reaching the final stages.

One player that seems to have almost secured a spot on the plane already (if England qualify) is Arsenal's wonder-teen Jack Wilshere. Despite his tender age of just 18 and so few caps he could actually wear them on his head and not look a fool making this achievement even more impressive.

Young Jack burst onto the scene last summer in the annual Emirates Cup tournament in pre-season. After being hailed for his skillful trickery there were some who called for him to go to the World Cup in South Africa but Fabio Capello opted against taking the youngster.

Now a regular in the Gunners' first team we've started to see more of the real Jack Wilshere. In his first appearance on our screens some 18 months ago he appeared as a flying winger, skinning players and making darting runs into the box from the flanks. However an injury prone Spaniard has left a hole in the middle of Arsenal's midfield and now we can see the player that Wilshere really is.

The teenager cuts a Scholes-like figure in the middle of the park, chasing back, stringing passes together and pushing forward into the box when needed.

The young gun may well give Mr. Capello the option he has been looking for in the middle of the park while giving England fans the replacement they've been searching for since a certain Manchester United midfielder retired some six years ago.

ENGLAND UNSCATHED AND UNDERWHELMING IN PLATINUM STARS VICTORY

England cruised to a 3-0 win over South African club side Platinum Stars as they completed their warm-up for the World Cup.

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe got England off to a great start when he tapped home Steven Gerrard's lay-off in the third minute of the game but the Three Lions struggled to find their form in the first half.

The Platinum Stars had a chance to level from the spot shortly after Defoe's strike but Bradley Grobler fired his penalty harmlessly over the crossbar.

Joe Cole, the only England player to complete the whole ninety minutes, got the second after a quick break from Wayne Rooney before Rooney got himself on the score sheet as he volleyed home James Milner's cross to round off the best move of the match.

The match had many pundits and fans fearing the worst due to the close proximity of England's opening game against the USA on Saturday but the team managed to come through the game without picking up any injuries.

Many questions remain unanswered as to Capello's preferred starting line-up with few England players doing anything to confirm their place on the team sheet in this final warm-up game.

All four strikers got forty five minutes on the pitch with Spurs striker Peter Crouch partnering his club mate, Defoe, in the first half before the pair were replaced by Emile Heskey and Rooney at half time.

This leaves the question unanswered as to who will partner Rooney against the USA with neither Crouch nor Heskey having an impact on the game. It would be something of a surprise should pint-sized Defoe make the first eleven as that would surely see Rooney play a deeper role to support his strike partner, something Fabio Capello has shied away from in the past.

There also remains questions as to who will start on the flanks for England with Shaun Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon both desperate to fill the right midfield berth. However Joe Cole's performance may have done enough to convince Capello he is worthy of starting on the left with Steven Gerrard moving into the middle to partner Frank Lampard.

Ledley King seems set to partner John Terry in defence after Rio Ferdinand's heart wrenching injury in training, while it still remains a mystery who will wear the gloves for the Three Lions.

Joe Hart started today's game and was replaced by Rob Green at half time although neither were given much of a chance to prove their worth. Portsmouth's David James is the most experienced of the three and has been handed the No. 1 by Capello which would make him the favourite to start in Rustenberg.

There's certainly plenty of decisions left for Fabio to make.

WALCOTT OUT AS CAPELLO SWINGS THE AXE

Strong rumours out of Wembley today suggest that Arsenal winger Theo Walcott will not be making England's 23-man squad for the World Cup Finals.

The youngster has been a fixture of Fabio Capello's team since the Italian took charge of the national side and repaid his manager's faith with a magnificent hat-trick against against Croatia in Zagreb during the qualification stages.

However that glowing performance has faded over time and his inability to command a regular spot for his club appears to have seriously shaken his confidence and his form for England has perhaps made the decision to leave him off the plane somewhat justified.

Manchester City midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips seems set to take his place on the plane whilst his teammate Adam Johnson appears to have lost out to Chelsea's Joe Cole in the battle for the left midfield berth.

Others expected to be excluded from the squad are Sunderland striker Darren Bent and Everton left-back Leighton Baines who has been suggested to have suffered from home sickness.

News is yet to be confirmed over Gareth Barry, the only man to play in every qualifier for England, who has been suffering with injury over the past couple of weeks.

SQUADS ANNOUNCED AS TOURNAMENT DRAWS CLOSER

A number of squads, be they preliminary, provisional or predictable have now be announced for this summer's World Cup, with the tournament just over thirty days away.

Today England manager Fabio Capello announced his thirty-strong provisional squad with many rumours circling around possible surprise inclusions. Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has come out of international retirement to answer the Italian's call while no less than six Tottenham players have made the first draft of the national squad.

Darren Bent is another player to perhaps unfairly be named as a 'surprise' inclusion, after all what more can a striker do to get in the England team if 24 league goals isn't enough? Other mild surprises were those of West Ham midfielder Scott Parker and the injured Gareth Barry who had been expected to miss out.

Capello will now scrutinise his thirty men over the coming weeks before the players are given their final chance to impress in the friendlies with Mexico and Japan at the end of May. He will then announce his final 23 man squad on June 1st, just ten days before the start of the tournament.

England aren't the only team to announce their squad however, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Ghana, Portugal, Nigeria, Spain and hosts South Africa are just a few of the nations to have named a squad in some capacity.

DAVID BECKHAM OUT OF WORLD CUP

Former England captain David Beckham's hopes of making another World Cup were left shattered last night after he suffered a heart-breaking injury.

The LA Galaxy midfielder tore his Achilles tendon whilst playing for loan club AC Milan in their 1-0 Serie A victory over Chievo on Sunday. Beckham had moved to Milan in a bid to keep his match fitness up through the Major League Soccer off-season.

Early reports suggest the injury will keep Beckham out until the middle of June and with England manager Fabio Capello set to name his squad for the World Cup on June 1, Beckham's hopes of a fourth World Cup look certain to be over.

Capello himself has admitted that Beckham looks extremely unlikely to make the World Cup after this injury.

He said in a statement, "We have to wait for the results of the scan but it looks like he is out of the World Cup. I spoke with him after the game on Sunday night to offer my support, as did Franco Baldini. David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow."

Many expected the World Cup to be Beckham's last hurrah in an England shirt and considering he will be 35 after the tournament it looks like "Goldenballs's" international career could be over.

There was more bad news on the injury front for Fabio Capello with Tottenham Hotspur claiming they are disappointed at Aaron Lennon's level of recovery from his groin muscle injury.

Lennon is yet to play for his club this year and Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has admitted the pacy winger is "quite a way off" from a first team return.

Capello may also have to plan for life without first choice left-back Ashley Cole, who is currently sidelined through injury, and second choice Wayne Bridge who has ruled himself out of contention for the national team after problems in his private life relating to England and Chelsea defender John Terry.