Fabio Capello is not a man for sentiment and, as he prepares to announce his first provisional squad as England manager this afternoon, there were increasing whispers last night that David Beckham will not be winning his 100th international cap against Switzerland on Wednesday.

That is not to say that omission from Capello’s first squad would signify the end of Beckham’s dream, but the new manager is understood to be keen to explore different options for his first game in charge, particularly as the Los Angeles Galaxy midfield player has not been involved in a competitive game since winning his 99th cap in the ill-fated European Championship qualifying match against Croatia on November 21.

The door will not be closed on Beckham, who will be eager to prove his fitness once the Major League Soccer season starts in late March, but, even if he is named in Capello’s provisional 30-man squad this afternoon, the expectation is that he will not make the cut when that list is trimmed to approximately 23 players who will be asked to report to the team’s base in Hertfordshire on Sunday evening.

Capello, who reinstated Beckham to his team at Real Madrid last season after a five-week exile, would certainly consider awarding him a 100th cap once he has weighed up the merits of players such as David Bentley, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the 61-year-old is not the type to be swayed by media or even internal pressure. In stark contrast to the media-friendly approach of Steve McClaren and several of his other predecessors, Capello has refused even to inform FA officials of his plans for the squad. Indeed it was only yesterday afternoon, after a polite request, that the FA was able to confirm that there would be a squad announcement today.

Quite who will be in Capello’s first squad is anybody’s guess, the likelihood being that he will come up with at least a couple of surprising names after a whistle-stop tour of the Barclays Premier League grounds since starting work 3½ weeks ago.

Sven-Göran Eriksson, in similar circumstances, surprised everyone by naming Chris Powell, the journeyman Charlton Athletic defender, in his first squad seven years ago and so it is now that, having started work with a clean slate, Capello is said to have been impressed by players such as Carlton Cole and Dave Kitson – neither of them considered international-class by any of their predecessors – as well as Gabriel Agbonlahor, the exciting Aston Villa forward.

In another contrast to McClaren’s approach, there has been no direct communication between Capello and his prospective players beyond a chat with the injured John Terry when their paths crossed at Chelsea’s Carling Cup tie away to Everton last week. Capello did not even offer any guarantees about the England captaincy on that occasion – and, with Terry injured, Steven Gerrard may now be favourite to lead the team out against Switzerland. So there has been nothing to ease the anxiety of players such as Paul Robinson, David James and Phil Neville, who are among those with cause to wonder whether their faces will fit under the new regime. Bentley and Agbonlahor are among the most likely beneficiaries, while Jermaine Jenas’s return to form for Tottenham Hotspur has been well-timed.

Capello confirmed yesterday that Stuart Pearce will bring an English voice to his coaching staff, which is otherwise all-Italian, when his duties with the under21 team allow. “From the start I made it clear that I wanted an English coach as part of my team,” Capello said. “This is very important as Stuart has a lot of experience and understanding of English football. He understands what I am looking to achieve and how I want to work.”

Meanwhile, The Times has learnt that the FA is in negotiations to take Capello’s team to the Caribbean at the end of the season to play a friendly match against Trinidad & Tobago on or around June 1. This year marks the centenary of the Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation, which is eager to entice one of world football’s heavyweights to mark the occasion.

A knock-on effect may be the support of Jack Warner, the country’s highly influential Fifa administrator, in advance of bidding to host the 2018 World Cup finals. Not that such a thought would cross anyone’s mind at the FA, of course.

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