England coach Fabio Capello has made several surprise selections in his preliminary 30-man World Cup squad.

Uncapped duo Adam Johnson and Michael Dawson are in, along with Dawson's Tottenham team-mate Tom Huddlestone.

Jamie Carragher comes out of international retirement, while fellow defender Ledley King and the injured Gareth Barry have also been picked.

Scott Parker, Stephen Warnock and Darren Bent are chosen, with the final 23-man squad to be announced by 1 June.

Under Fifa regulations, Capello is permitted to bring players into his 23-man squad who were not included in the preliminary party.
   
But that would be an unusual move, meaning the squad he takes to this summer's finals in South Africa is unlikely to look too dissimilar to that which he has already named.

England play Mexico at Wembley on 24 May and Japan in Austria six days later as part of a pre-tournament training camp.

That will provide Capello with time to work with a much-changed squad and put the finishing touches to his preparations.

The Italian has included 23-year-old Joe Hart among his three goalkeepers after the Manchester City player enjoyed an outstanding season on loan at Birmingham.

Like Hart, left-backs Leighton Baines of Everton and Warnock of Aston Villa have one senior cap to their names and are graduate of the England Under-21 side.

But the big news in defence surrounds the return of versatile Liverpool defender Carragher, who appeared at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup before retiring in the summer of 2007.

"The FA got in touch a few weeks ago and asked if I would have a rethink, due to injury problems," said the 32-year-old former England Under-21 captain who won his first senior cap in April 1999. " I said I would make myself available.

"The World Cup and Champions League are the highest levels of football. I'm not getting any younger, we have no Champions League football (at Liverpool) next season and I am keen to work under Fabio Capello."

Despite a chronic knee problem, King's selection had been predicted in some quarters and it would appear the Tottenham captain's form in helping his club finish fourth in the Premier League influenced Capello.

"I am really happy because he played four games in 15 days," the Italian said on Monday.

Dawson, King's centre-half partner at White Hart Lane, has been rewarded for a tremendous season and will now hope to add some senior caps to his 13 under-21 appearances.

There was plenty of speculation over whether Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole would be selected but the 28-year-old has bounced back impressively from cruciate knee ligament damage and a poor run of form.

Capello's other midfield options include the fit-again Aaron Lennon of Tottenham, Arsenal's Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips of Manchester City.

England's 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup finals:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

I tell you what, considering people have been hyping the African teams to finally make a push, they've all been given fairly tough groups. Wonder what sort of odds you'd get on none of them making it out of the group stages? South Africa's whole group is pretty tough, Algeria aren't getting through. Nigeria probably look the best bet, but South Korea are decent and Greece are solid. Serbia and Germany will probably have more about them to make it through in Ghana's group, Cameroon have got Holland and Denmakr and the Ivory Coast face Brazil and Portugal.

all the fixtures for your outlook calendar.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/wcp05q

Every year I become a fan of the shittest team in the competition (as Bangladesh are never in it ) but Saudi Arabia aren't in it this year so I am a fan of Algeria.

COME ON YOUALGERIANS

I tell you what, considering people have been hyping the African teams to finally make a push, they've all been given fairly tough groups. Wonder what sort of odds you'd get on none of them making it out of the group stages? South Africa's whole group is pretty tough, Algeria aren't getting through. Nigeria probably look the best bet, but South Korea are decent and Greece are solid. Serbia and Germany will probably have more about them to make it through in Ghana's group, Cameroon have got Holland and Denmakr and the Ivory Coast face Brazil and Portugal.

Groups A, E, G and H look tough.

Apart from USA there's no-one in our group that will be hard to beat.

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has joined the BBC team for the World Cup in South Africa this summer.


The former Arsenal forward will be a guest pundit along with Jurgen Klinsmann, Clarence Seedorf and Gordon Strachan.


Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker will lead the television coverage and he will be joined by his usual sidekicks Lee Dixon, Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer.


'Expert' co-commentators will be Mark Lawrenson, Mark Bright, Wolves boss Mick McCarthy and Martin Keown.


Colin Murray will be the face of BBC's highlights and it has also been confirmed that he will take over from Adrian Chiles as presenter of MOTD2.


The BBC have also announced their team for 5 Live's coverage, with Graham Taylor, David Moyes, Robbie Savage, Chris Waddle and Danny Mills getting a nice trip to South Africa.

i could have a new job starting in june 

Think last World Cup was final year Uni which meant it was on after last exams but before I had to move back to my Dad's

  perfect timing.

BBC Pundit? 

yeah me and Big Garth. No whiteys allowed 

we will fuck you up.

i've spent the last week or so just giggling throughout the day thinking of that vid 
especially not from Connecticut.

Nah he's a tit. Wes Brown all the way