SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON has never been one to keep his admiration for Jonathan Woodgate out of the public eye. Always complimentary and always keen to keep the door to an international return wide open.

So when Woodgate's name was not announced in the latest England squad last night there was a great deal of surprise, particularly as the Swede had hinted at the centre-back's inclusion.

Even if his return to the national team had arrived quicker than he would have hoped for, the fact that there are only two more friendlies before the World Cup suggests now would have been the perfect time for a call-up

Despite spending 12 months in the wilderness at the Bernabeu, following his £13.4m sale from Newcastle United, Real Madrid are beginning to realise just why they paid so much for him in the first place.

The huge transfer fee for a centre-back, plagued by injuries and suspensions throughout his professional career, suddenly does not look as inflated.

Since making his calamitous debut on September 22 for Real, when he scored an own goal and was sent off, he has since become a towering fixture at the heart of Wanderley Luxembergo's backline. He has played in the last two Champions League fixtures and even scored in the 4-1 win over Rosenborg.

And now, nearly 20 months after his last cap, Woodgate's long-awaited return to the England scene should have been over.

The announcement was taken even before Woodgate limped out of Real's La Liga fixture with Real Zaragoza last night - something that makes Eriksson's U-turn even more bizarre.

Despite being held in such high regard by Eriksson, the Middlesbrough-born defender only has five caps to his name and that is mainly due to his injury record and a long suspension during his much-publicised court case in 2001.

By offering Woodgate the opportunity to join up with the England squad at this stage, Eriksson would have effectively dangled a World Cup place in front of the 25-year-old. Something that he is even more determined to play in having been prevented from playing in the 2002 finals due to injury.

With Rio Ferdinand's place in serious jeopardy, there remains the matter of providing back up for John Terry and Sol Campbell with Ledley King now the likely man to cover.

But Eriksson is believed to be keen to have Woodgate on board to Germany and for that reason there would have been no better time to try to reintegrate him back into the England squad.

The same cannot be said of David James.

At 35, he should be considering retirement after admitting he did not prepare properly before the embarrassing 4-1 defeat in Denmark last August.

Chris Kirkland's kidney complaint has opened the door for James. It also highlights the dearth of options Eriksson has.

Apart from Tottenham's Paul Robinson and Norwich's Robert Green, who is not exactly shining in the Championship the only other options are either too inexperienced or too under-used.

Liverpool's Under-21 keeper Scott Carson is only third-choice at Anfield while Nigel Martyn, at the age of 39, forgot about England duty a long time ago.

If England want to win the World Cup next summer, let's hope Robinson is fit. Otherwise the whole nation could be pinning their hopes on James remembering to prepare properly for a quarter-final tie with Brazil.