Centre of attention: Bent was among the contenders to lead the line for England in Rooney's absence

There are, of course, more experienced alternatives, not least Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Bobby Zamora.

But all three were excluded for this friendly and certainly would not have been considered the ideal alternative to Rooney by Capello.

For Aston Villa, the news about Bent also amounts to a serious setback. The striker saw a specialist in London on Monday and the club issued a statement saying: 'Darren Bent has undergone scans and he has seen a top ankle specialist this afternoon in London.

« Previous1234Next »