Fabio Capello’s presence at Eastlands yesterday, when only one of his England players was on view, was explained last night when Ledley King joined John Terry on the sidelines, and Micah Richards of Manchester City came into contention for the vacancy at centre-half. Richards has been playing for his club in central defence but international football at right-back – a situation that could be about to change in the friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on Wednesday. With Terry and King unfit, Capello is considering installing Richards as Rio Ferdinand’s temporary partner.

Seven players were always going to be jettisoned last night from the provisional 30 named 48 hours earlier, and King and Emile Heskey were the first two to go, both back in the treatment room. They were quickly followed by three defenders (Curtis Davies, Glen Johnson and Nicky Shorey) and two midfielders (Michael Carrick and Stewart Downing). King, whose fitness to play more than one game a week is increasingly in doubt, was conspicuous by his absence yesterday when Tottenham drew 1-1 with Manchester United. He had been first in line to deputise for Terry, and his withdrawal leaves Capello with a difficult choice between Richards and the two experienced centre-halves he has recalled, Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson.

Of the others who failed to beat the cut, the most notable omission is Portsmouth’s Johnson, who has been in impressive form all season. His removal militates against moving Richards, in that it leaves Wes Brown as the only alternative right-back.

Determined to put an indelible signature on his first squad, Capello did it with a ruthlessness too many of his predecessors lacked, axeing seven of the 24 players who were on call that infamous November night when Steve McClaren’s bedraggled underachievers were eliminated from Euro 2008. There is no place for David Beckham, Sol Campbell, Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent, all of whom played some part in the fateful defeat by Croatia. The others discarded, even from the preliminary pool of 30, were Paul Robinson, Phil Neville and Alan Smith.

To replace them, the new broom has swept in something old (Jermaine Jenas, Upson and Woodgate are back in favour), something new (Gabriel Agbonlahor is in for the first time), and a lot borrowed from the claret and blue (there were five Aston Villa players in the original 30, four in the 23). The major surprise on Thursday was the inclusion of Davies, 22, who has made only five starts for Villa in the Premier League this season after joining on loan from West Bromwich Albion last summer.

Fortunate to get in ahead of Steven Taylor, of Newcastle, Davies was “shocked” by his initial selection, thought it was a “wind up”, and fully expected to be dispensed with last night. Much more widely flagged was the selection of Agbonlahor, the pacy young striker whose seven goals in 24 league appearances for Villa this season merited promotion from the under-21s. Like David Bentley, the Villan has clearly been forgiven for failing to turn out for the under-21s at their European tournament last summer. Unluckiest to be omitted, on current form, is Robert Green, the West Ham goalkeeper, who is again overlooked, this time in favour of Wigan’s Chris Kirkland, whose injury-plagued progress has kept him out of contention for nearly four years. Kirkland returns as number three, with the incumbent, Scott Carson, and Portsmouth’s David James contesting the starting position.

Villa’s Carson will be hoping that his ghastly gaffe against the Croatians does not count against him, but Capello’s proven preference for an experienced ’keeper gives James realistic cause for optimism. The most noteworthy selections among the defenders are Upson and Woodgate, two accomplished centre-halves whose international careers appeared to have been wrecked by injury. Woodgate, 28, made his England debut back in June 1999 and, had he stayed fit, he might have had 50 caps by now instead of six. The midfield contingent is much as expected, with Jenas rewarded for his recent revival at Tottenham and Blackburn’s David Bentley rivalling Shaun Wright-Phillips, who started against Croatia, for what some still see as Beckham’s rightful position, on the right.

Aaron Lennon, who replaced Beckham near the end of the World Cup to promising effect, might have expected to be in after troubling Manchester United twice in a week, but drops to the under-21s, who play the Republic of Ireland at Southampton on Tuesday.

After a poor season with Newcastle, Michael Owen is no longer the shoo-in he was for so long, and owes continued selection to the dearth of credible alternatives, as much as those 40 goals in 88 international apprearances. He needs number 41 as a matter of urgency. The vacant captaincy does not present a problem. Capello, to his credit, ignored the expedient of using Beckham to fill in while Terry recuperates, and seems certain to make the straightforward choice by appointing Steven Gerrard, named yesterday as the England fans’ player of the year for 2007.

The decision to omit Beckham may have been contentious, but it was a sound one. The erstwhile captain has not played a game since Croatia’s visit, well over two months ago, and therefore cannot be match fit. A few training sessions with Arsenal and some ball juggling on a Brazilian beach are no sort of preparation for international football-especially for a 32-year-old whose mobility has been the subject of legitimate concern for at least two years.

Capello will also have been aware that celebration of the “Goldenballs” century would have turned the England team more than ever into the David Beckham Show, which is something the manager will have been keen to avoid. The focus should be on new beginnings, not Yesterday’s Men, and there is no room for emotional distractions. It is a new era, time for Bentley, Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and their like to try to achieve what the so-called “Golden Generation” couldn’t. Fingers crossed this afternoon, when five of the 23 will be at risk in the matches between Fulham and Aston Villa and Newcastle and Middlesbrough.

England v Switzerland, Wednesday, BBC1, 7.30pm, kick-off 8pm

So farewell, Becks

WHAT WE’LL MISS

The free kicks Remember against Colombia at the 1998 World Cup and that goal against Greece in 2001

The crosses Even in defeat against Croatia, he could still land it on a sixpence, setting up Crouch’s equaliser

The Spanish Proved he really could do it at the last World Cup, translating an exchange with an Ecuadorian journalist into English for our journalists

The pride Happy to serve off the pitch too, as in London’s 2012 bid

The US move Loved by hacks who finally had an excuse for that all-expenses-paid trip to LA

AND WHAT WE WON’T

The TV interviews Garth Crooks’ questions and Beckham’s ‘yer know’ replies were torture

The big tournaments Never delivered at the World Cup or European championships

The wife Only so many shots of Victoria pouting in the stands we can take

The cards Acts of petulance or ‘cleverly’ getting yellow-carded

The penalties Against Turkey in 2003, and France and Portugal at Euro 2004

Fitness claims Not fit for Japan 2002 or Euro 2004, as he claimed

Capello’s first squad

David James (Portsmouth), Scott Carson (Aston Villa), Chris Kirkland (Wigan)

Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Man United), Wes Brown (Man United), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Micah Richards (Man City), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham Hotspur)

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham Hotspur), Owen Hargreaves (Man United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), David Bentley (Blackburn Rovers)

Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Michael Owen (Newcastle United), Wayne Rooney (Man United), Peter Crouch (Liverpool)

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