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Spotlight falls on England's future in friendly with Ghana

Gareth Barry is the most experienced player in the England squad © PA Photos

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Even an impressive 2-0 win over Wales in Cardiff on Saturday has not been enough to spare Fabio Capello the ire of the national media. Now he stands accused of cheapening the armband by handing it to Gareth Barry - the most experienced player in the squad - and cheating England's paying supporters by pledging to rest up to seven players for a friendly against Ghana that represents a good chance to experiment.

Reinstated captain John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Dawson and Wayne Rooney all have Champions League football on the horizon so have been allowed to return to their clubs. Capello has been attacked for the decision, but it offers his fringe players the chance to impress. Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Joe Hart, Andy Carroll and Barry - who failed to even make the bench against Wales - will all start, while Scott Parker, fresh from an excellent performance against Wales, will do so if he proves his fitness. Wembley may also be treated to glimpses of Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young and Darren Bent - three players who are at the forefront of Capello's plans at present.

All three impressed against Wales as England adopted an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation, though Capello stressed after the game that this was not necessarily a permanent shift in the shape of his team. Barry will likely be partnered by Parker in central midfield, while Aaron Lennon, Matthew Jarvis, James Milner and Stewart Downing are all in contention to play in wide areas. It remains to be seen whether Carroll will be partnered in attack by a player such as Bent or Jermain Defoe, or utilised as a lone striker, but the £35 million man is arguably the star attraction as he makes his second international appearance.

It is undoubtedly a weakened side, and England would be advised not to take Ghana lightly given the Black Stars succeeded where England failed and reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup last summer. Now under the control of Goran Stevanovic, who succeeded his compatriot Milovan Rajevac, Ghana continued their 100% record under their new boss with a 3-0 win over Congo in African Nations Cup qualifying at the weekend. Though the default setting around the England camp appears to be scepticism at present, the same cannot be said of Tuesday's opponents, and as many as 25,000 of their fans may be in attendance at Wembley.

England player to watch: Gareth Barry. The Manchester City midfielder assumes the captain's armband after John Terry's return to Chelsea, meaning he is the latest incumbent in a role that has provoked sustained debate in the English press. Barry has worn the armband briefly against Egypt and Denmark in the past, but now needs to produce a performance worthy of the honour as he seeks to underline his credentials to Capello. It is less than a year ago that the nation was hanging on scans of his ankle ahead of the World Cup finals, but after a succession of poor performances his stock has lowered alarmingly, and Barry did not even get on the bench for the 2-0 win over Wales. The emergence of Jack Wilshere and the excellence of Scott Parker mean his international career is arguably in the balance.

Ghana player to watch: Andre Ayew. The son of three-time African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele has been in superb form for Marseille this season, scoring seven goals in Ligue 1 to attract interest from Liverpool and Arsenal. A dangerous player out wide, though given freedom to roam, Ayew was on a three-man shortlist to be named the best young player at the World Cup and, although he missed out to Thomas Muller of Germany, the tournament in South Africa was a turning point in his career: this time last year, the 21-year-old was on loan at Ligue 2 side Arles. Ayew started the win over Congo and is likely to be instructed to unsettle an unfamiliar England defence.

Key battle: Andrew Carroll v John Mensah. Ghana's captain was a horrified onlooker when benched for Sunderland's 5-1 defeat to Newcastle in October, but even from a distance he would have seen the havoc that Carroll can wreak. Now at Liverpool following his £35 million move in January, the striker is poised to win his second international cap having also started a 2-1 defeat to France in November. Carroll's attributes are no secret: he is a brute of a player, dominant in the air and accomplished on the ground. Mensah also has impressive physical attributes and a titanic battle could ensue.

Trivia: Ghana become the 84th different country that England have faced in their history. They are only the fourth African team - after Cameroon, Nigeria and Egypt - to play at Wembley.

Stats: An early partnership between Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan at Sunderland was broken up when the former joined Aston Villa on January 18. Since that transfer, Bent has scored five times for club and country, Gyan just twice.

Odds: England (1.66), Ghana (5.00) and the draw (3.75) are all available on bet365. Carroll to score the first goal is 6.50.

Prediction: England may suffer from their seven changes and with Ghana a cohesive, happy unit, expect them to snatch a draw.

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