• England v Spain

Phil Jones will anchor England midfield - Capello

ESPN staff
November 11, 2011
Fabio Capello will experiment against Spain © Getty Images
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Fabio Capello has confirmed Manchester United's Phil Jones will start in the centre of midfield for England against Spain on Saturday.

Capello is using the Wembley friendly as an opportunity to test new faces in the England squad ahead of Euro 2012 next summer. The Italian came under fire from reporters for not selecting his best team, which will be saved for the forthcoming international with Sweden.

After a morning that saw Gabriel Agbonlahor sidelined by a hamstring injury, Capello did at least reveal part of his plans for the midfield area, which is likely to have to deal with Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

"Jones will play as a midfielder," Capello said in Friday's press conference. "The captain will be Frank Lampard. I think that is enough [revelations about the team].

"I decide always the line-up of the team on the day of the game, because sometimes players are not ready on the day."

It appears Capello is putting great emphasis on England's athleticism in the middle of the park against Spain, who will undoubtedly boss possession at Wembley. Jones provides such energy, and Capello is looking forward to seeing if his team can stick to the gameplan.

"We're taking a risk, not a big one, but we respect our opposition. Tomorrow will be difficult because the ball possession of Spain is really good, so the most important thing is when you lose the ball, get it back very quickly."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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