Capello questions Fergie's Owen policy

Fabio Capello can't understand why Michael Owen can't get more regular football at Manchester United, but insists the striker must play consistently if he is to be considered for England's World Cup squad.

GettyImagesFabio Capello has not selected Owen since March 2008

England boss Capello is perhaps leaning on Sir Alex Ferguson to give Owen more involvement so the Italian has as many options available as possible when it comes time to narrow down his 30-man shortlist to 23 for South Africa. Capello said Owen's Champions League hat-trick at Wolfsburg showed his "importance" to England, but wants to see more.

Owen's treble against Wolfsburg led to suggestions he could force his way onto the plane to South Africa next year but he has only made substitute appearances against Aston Villa and Wolves since.

Capello, speaking at the unveiling of The Hive, Barnet's new training facilities, said: "I saw the last game he played, on television, and he scored three goals in the Champions League but the next game he did not play. For this reason, I ask myself why? Why (Wayne) Rooney plays always and Owen not? He is one of the important England players.''

Owen has been in provisional squads recently and where he ranks come the end of the season will depend on injuries to other players. Capello will only select players who are match-ready, and said he is consuming a lot of football to make sure he has Plan B ready in case his ideal selections become unavailable.

"The players I choose will be fit and will play a lot of games,'' Capello told BBC Radio Five Live. "In my mind I have 30 players because, I hope not, but if someone is not fit or injured, I have to decide the 23 players at the last moment. I follow all the players and check every moment what happens and when we decide, the players that will come with me to South Africa will be fit.

"I am checking the general situation in every game, if they improve or don't improve, or some young players who play one or two games. (James) Milner at the moment has changed position, from the wing and now (is playing) like a (central) midfielder. (Wes) Brown played right-back last season and this year he has been centre-back.''

England will be staying in Rustenburg, after Capello's fears over the state of the training pitches were eased.

"The facilities are okay, there were some problems with the pitches but I spoke to people there and they will be okay for June when we are in South Africa,'' he said. "We found Rustenburg was the best place for us. It is quiet, good for security, is close to the stadium where we play the first game - everything is okay.''

Before that, Capello wants to play Egypt at Wembley on March 3, then arrange a friendly with Mexico.

He added: "We have to decide. We are speaking with these countries but have not decided yet. I think we will play March 3 at Wembley, against Egypt, then we have to find the date to play against Mexico.

"There are some problems, I don't know if we will play Sunday or Monday. All the friendly games we played were against European teams and we know the style of these teams. We have to play against South Americans and African teams with a different style.''

Gullit: Owen faces tough battle

Ruud Gullit has said he thinks Michael Owen faces a fight to make it to the World Cup despite his Champions League hat-trick for Manchester United re-opening the debate about which strikers will make it into Fabio Capello's squad.

GettyImagesMichael Owen celebrates his hat-trick

• Read Ruud Gullit's column here

Gullit believes that Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe are certainties and that there are four more who must "hustle" for the final two places.

In a special ESPN Soccernet column Gullit said: "While it was good that he scored a hat-trick in Germany in the Champions League he still has a lot to do to convince Capello, take it from me. I have been sceptical about Owen, but I really hope he proves me wrong, but he will need to be playing regularly, and the danger is that he might have scored three in the Champions League but he could be back on the bench for a long time.

"I don't think Capello will take too many senior players with doubts such as these. He might take David Beckham, but not Owen. Then again, if he took Owen, he might not take Beckham. Owen, for me, has much less chance. Rooney and Defoe are certainties, while the rest must hustle for their places. Capello likes Emile Heskey, but he also has Carlton Cole, Peter Crouch and Darren Bent. There are a lot of choices.''

The Dutchman also believes that injured Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie can return for Holland in the World Cup and make the impact that Marco Van Basten did when he returned for his country to help them win the 1988 European Championships.

Gullit starred in that tournament and lifted the trophy as captain of the Dutch side that had Van Basten producing one of the most complete displays of a No.9. Van Persie has the capabilities in front of goal to make a real impact on the side and Gullit sees similarities in the way he hopes the striker will return to the Dutch team the way Van Basten did.

Gullit says: "At the moment is all doom and gloom about Van Persie and his very serious injury that is keeping him for some time, but we had the same scenario with Marco van Basten back in 1988 before our European championship tournament.

"Marco was out for some considerable time through injury but he came back just in time for the European championships and when he did he was in great shape in time for that tournament and the rest is history.

"Perhaps the same is going to happen with Van Persie and he will return refreshed, in better shape than most of the best players who have to play so many games in a long, hard season. Van Persie will be out for three months, but it is crucial he comes back in peak form and fitness for Holland's chances in the World Cup. He is a very important player, for sure. Arsenal are going to miss him very much, and Holland need him too.

"Because he plays for Arsenal, it is often suggested that he has succeeded Dennis Bergkamp, both for club and country. But they are totally different players. I must say Robin Van Persie is one of a kind, so it's hard to compare him really, he is such a good player. But I wouldn't say we are relying on one player; that is not the case, we have a really good team as we showed going through the qualifying campaign winning every game.''