England manager Fabio Capello has pleaded for assistance from the Wembley crowd to stop his young players getting "burnt" tomorrow night.
England manager Fabio Capello has pleaded for assistance from the Wembley crowd to stop his young players getting "burnt" tomorrow night.
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The Italian has confirmed that Newcastle striker Andy Carroll and Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson will make their debuts against France, with Arsenal full-back Kieran Gibbs set for his second appearance after his international bow against Hungary in August.
Micah Richards stands by to win his first cap under Capello if Phil Jagielka fails to recover from a virus, while Theo Walcott and James Milner are still relatively young even if age belies experience.
Chris Smalling and Jay Bothroyd will both sit on the bench hoping for their first experience of international combat too.
It is a delicate time for all these players, and victory against a French team that has started to improve under Laurent Blanc since their shambolic World Cup experience cannot be guaranteed.
Which is why Capello is so keen to stress the need for patience and understanding from fans who were so badly let down at the World Cup in South Africa in the summer and whose last experience of the national side was that drab goalless draw with Montenegro in a Euro 2012 qualifier.
"I hope the performance of these young players will be really good, but the fans have to understand that we could burn these players if it is not," said Capello.
"We have to help them. When they play in front of 90,000 people at Wembley, it is not the same as playing with the under-21s.
"The value of this game is different."
It is Capello's aim to make the match a seminal one in England's history.
He can hardly have forgotten how easily his team were dismantled by Germany in Bloemfontein in June, or the vitality of opponents who hit England hard at the start, rode their luck when Frank Lampard's 'equaliser' was disallowed and then struck with impressive power and speed to clinch a quarter-final berth that eventually turned into a third-place finish.
"Germany built the team step by step. If we want to do the same, we have to put these players in the team two or three at a time, not five or six," said Capello.
"They need time to improve, to play with confidence and without fear.
"When I have done this with my club team some played very well immediately, others needed more time. But the value of these players is really big and we have to help them."
Capello recalled his time at Roma to back up the point.
"I picked Alberto Aquilani because he was better than Daniele De Rossi," he said.
"But at half-time I asked him why he was playing so many short passes and without confidence?
"I wanted him to play like he did in training but for the first 10 minutes of the second half he was exactly the same, so I made a change.
"De Rossi came on, did exactly what he did in training and played in the first XI from then on.
"Since I have been with England, some players have played with fear. I don't tell you the names but they have not played with the same confidence."
Capello would have had an even greater contingent of young players had Jack Wilshere not pulled out with an injury he suffered in Sunday's win at Everton.
The 18-year-old has been an impressive performer for the Gunners this term and is clearly a player Capello has identified for the future.
The same is not true of Kevin Davies, who at 33 does not have time on his side.
Still, his omission from this squad was a surprise after the two displays Capello has seen him produce since making him England's oldest debutant in half a century last month, and the fact Cardiff's Jay Bothroyd and Carlton Cole have received surprise call-ups.
"The scouts monitored Bothroyd because we are looking at all the Championship teams and the under-21s," revealed Capello.
"I wanted to see him in training and know him better.
"I know the value of Davies. He played with me.
"If we need him, I will select him another time, but I wanted to know someone new."
Capello used the word new rather than young because, at 28, Bothroyd is hardly that.
At 20, Henderson is though and brings a touch of class to the England side which Capello hopes to see flourish.
"He brings something new," said Capello.
"He runs a lot. He is fast. When he receives the ball he plays one-touch, two touches maximum.
"His vision is really good all the time."
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