MATTHEW Upson is thinking of setting up a sprint competition to prove he should be John Terry’s partner in Cape Town on Friday.

With skipper Rio Ferdinand back home watching events unfold from afar and Ledley King sidelined by a groin strain which will rule him out for three weeks, Fabio Capello needs a new central defender for the crucial encounter with Algeria.

Jamie Carragher had a torrid time against the USA following his introduction as a second-half substitute and was outpaced by one burst from Jozy Altidore.

As Michael Dawson is not a speed merchant either, Upson believes the answer might be to organise a race between the three of them, with the winner getting a starting slot.

“I used to be the quickest but we haven’t had a race. Perhaps we should. That might help me,” he laughed, on a visit to an SOS Village in Rustenburg, to see a group of young children, many of whom are orphans.

“I am deceptive. I might not look as if I am that quick, but I can cover the ground and pace is a big part of modern football.”

When he reverted to a more serious mode, the 31-year-old accepts his rival has all the experience of someone who has played at the highest level throughout his career.

Nine starts in 15 matches prior to Carragher being hauled out of retirement suggested Upson was the firstchoice should anything happen to Ferdinand.

Now he is faced with the prospect of not even being the replacement for Ferdinand’s replacement.

He continued: “It is disappointing because I want to play. It was an objective for me to be here and I achieved that.

“I do feel very happy with my international contribution under Fabio Capello but these are his decisions, which I am willing to accept because we are here to win something as a group.”

Although aspects of England’s performance were positive at the weekend, there is certainly an argument for the Three Lions to go back-to-basics, which would herald Upson’s return.

Not that it would meet with the approval of German legend Franz Beckenbauer, who launched a stinging attack on the “kick and rush” tactics he felt England employed against the United States.

Upson said: “You can talk as much as you want. It’s all down to what happens on the pitch.

“We want to be as entertaining as possible and we have been working hard on trying to be more possessionminded.

“But we come from a league which has such a big transition in possession compared to other leagues. That is the environment we are used to playing in.”

England also come from an environment where they come under scrutiny every time they go onto the field.

It means Upson’s West Ham team-mate Robert Green has been big news following his blunder against the USA robbed England of victory.

Upson said. “Everyone can see the mistake. I can’t remember him making one like that before but it’s happened.

“It was such a small incident yet it is a huge story.

Okay, it was a mistake. It happens.

We are human.

“To have it drag on and on is over the top.”