It said something about the paucity of top-class English central defenders yesterday when John Terry offered Jamie Carragher as a solution to a growing problem that could have devastating consequences for Fabio Capello’s plans for the World Cup finals next summer.

The England manager holds Carragher in a similarly high regard, but, having already made three unsuccessful overtures towards the Liverpool defender, he is unlikely to follow the captain’s lead by urging him to come out of retirement once again.

Capello’s first-choice pairing of Terry and Rio Ferdinand is up there with anything that will be on show in South Africa, but there is no guarantee that they will remain fit, particularly in an intense tournament at the end of a long season.

Terry and Ferdinand will have started together in only five of Capello’s 14 matches in charge after today’s World Cup qualifying match against Kazakhstan, in which England go in search of a sixth successive win in six games in group six. This in itself demonstrates that they cannot be relied upon next summer.

In recent years, England’s stock of centre backs has been the envy of the world — it took Terry an age finally to oust Sol Campell, for example — but no longer. Capello wears the look of an elder son whose inheritance has already been spent.

Campbell no longer has the pace that is required at the highest level, a series of injuries have effectively ended the international careers of Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate and Carragher chose to exile himself as a result of frustration over limited opportunities and seemingly endless travel.

Matthew Upson is likely to partner Terry against Kazakhstan this evening, in the absence of Ferdinand with a calf injury, but neither the West Ham United defender, Joleon Lescott nor Phil Jagielka, both from Everton, have shown that they belong at the highest level. Terry admitted as much yesterday, by effectively issuing an SOS for a man who retired after winning his 34th cap while playing at right back against Brazil two years ago.

“I think we could do with Carragher back in the squad,” Terry said. “That’s down to Carra to come back out of retirement. We all understood his frustration, but we’d all like him to come out of retirement.

“I spoke to Carra at the time, but it’s his decision. I don’t want to sit here and speak for him. Going into the World Cup, it’d be great if he did come back and make the competition even more difficult for all of us.

However, there are other options. “There’s still Matty [Upson], who everyone’s speaking highly of, and he’s had a very good year. Joleon’s done very well again and Gary Cahill has come into the squad. It’s down to Carra to come out and make a statement, really.”

Capello claimed to be unconcerned, although his actions speak louder than his words because calling up King for the recent friendly international against Slovakia was hardly a ringing endorsement of his existing squad.

Despite the lack of personnel for the position, the Italian will not repeat the mistakes of Sven-Göran Eriksson, who took David Beckham and Wayne Rooney to the previous two World Cups when they were unfit. “If you’re not fully fit, this manager doesn’t care who you are, he’ll leave you behind,” Terry said. “He’s got that ruthlessness about him.”

Capello’s only dilemma this evening revolves around who to play on the right wing, with Theo Walcott

likely to return for the first time in eight months — despite recent indifferent form for Arsenal — not least because Shaun Wright-Phillips has been struggling to shake off a knee injury.

Robert Green will make his first start in England’s other problem position, with Capello hoping that the West Ham United goalkeeper will be able to put sufficient pressure on David James, who is suffering from a neck injury. If James had retired from international football after being exiled by Steve McClaren, England really would be in trouble.