WITH England scheduled to play just one more friendly between now and the end of the season, thoughts are already turning to next summer's European Championships.

This week's victories over Spain and Sweden have showcased a new generation of players who will hope to win a place in the squad for Poland and Ukraine, but when push comes to shove, will Fabio Capello return to the same old faces?

The England boss will select a 23-man squad next summer, and here's who I would choose if I was in his position.

GOALKEEPERS

Scott Carson (Bursaspor), Joe Hart (Manchester City), David Stockdale (Fulham)

The goalkeeper selection is the easiest of the lot, with the cupboard effectively bare when it comes to alternatives to established first-choice Joe Hart.

Hart is rapidly developing into one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, but one shudders to think what would happen if he was to sustain a serious injury in the second half of the season.

Scott Carson is the preferred reserve, but the memory of his horror show against Croatia continues to loom large and it was telling that no Premier League club was interested in him this summer, forcing him to join Turkish side Bursaspor. Nevertheless, he remains the best of a bad lot.

I've always been fervently against pleading with players who have previously turned their back on international football, so I would definitely not be approaching the likes of Paul Robinson or Robert Green to fill a gap.

It would be a massive risk to only take two goalkeepers to a tournament though, so by process of elimination, former Darlington keeper David Stockdale gets the nod.

DEFENDERS

Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham)

Now the fun really starts, so let's kick off with the defenders that wouldn't make my cut. John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Glen Johnson have formed the bedrock of the England back four for a number of seasons, but they wouldn't even make my squad for next summer, let alone the starting XI.

Terry's international career should have been up when his failings were brutally exposed against Germany last summer, and given the baggage that inevitably accompanies him, if he's not in the starting side, it makes no sense to take him as a fringe member of the squad.

Ferdinand isn't even getting a game for Manchester United at the moment, so international football should definitely be off the agenda.

Instead, I'd take Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott, so impressive against Spain last weekend, and Gary Cahill, who is maintaining his form despite Bolton's struggles.

My fourth centre-half would be Phil Jones, whose ability to also provide cover as a holding midfielder effectively frees up a squad place elsewhere.

Kyle Walker's display against Sweden on Tuesday was good enough to cement his place, but while Capello is likely to choose Johnson, I'd plump for Micah Richards as my other right-back. Quite why the Manchester City man is still being ignored is a mystery.

On the other flank, Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines are head and shoulders above the other candidates and are an obvious pick.

MIDFIELDERS

Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham, captain), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Manchester United)

Midfield is likely to be the area of the squad that causes Capello most problems next summer, as most of England's emerging talent performs in the central third.

Given Wayne Rooney's suspension, England look certain to field five midfielders in their opening Euro 2012 fixture, and my starting five would be Scott Parker, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, with Steven Gerrard pushing forward to support a lone centre-forward.

That assumes, of course, that both Wilshere and Gerrard recover from their current injury problems and return to peak form, but time is on both players' side.

Parker is a nailed-on selection, and in Terry's absence, I'd make the uncomplicated Tottenham player captain.

I'd also pick Young and Downing as my two wide players, partly because of the strength of their recent performances for the national side, and partly because of the tactical flexibility that stems from their ability to switch flanks.

With Jones already in the squad to provide a degree of midfield cover, I'd only select three other midfielders - Adam Johnson, because of his ability to change a game from the substitutes' bench, and Theo Walcott, who continues to frustrate, but who remains a potent weapon when he is in the mood.

The third replacement? Frank Lampard. His best days are almost certainly behind him, but with so many younger players, an older head would be valuable if injuries began to bite.

Lampard's inclusion means there is no place for Gareth Barry, who has been exposed too often in the past, James Milner, who is a jack of all trades but a master of none, and Jack Rodwell, who will have other chances in the future.

STRIKERS

Darren Bent (Aston Villa), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

To take or not to take - when it comes to Wayne Rooney, that is the question.

Initially, I was tempted to leave the suspended striker at home as some form of punishment, but having looked closely at the alternatives, it's time to change my mind.

If the choice is Wayne Rooney for a possible quarter-final appearance or Bobby Zamora for a group game, then as far as I'm concerned there's no decision.

Rooney's appeal will be heard at the start of next month, but whatever happens he will miss England's first two matches. In his absence, I'd start with Darren Bent, whose recent goalscoring record for his country is impressive.

I'd also take Danny Welbeck, who has improved markedly in the last six months or so and is set to gain some valuable big-game experience with Manchester United in the remainder of the season.

Welbeck's ability to play in a wide position makes him even more useful.

With Rooney out of the equation for the majority of the group stage, four strikers are essential if he is going to be one of them.

The last pick is a somewhat controversial one, but I'd go for Andy Carroll because he gives England something no other striker can provide.

Yes, the former Newcastle man will have to prove his wellbeing with Liverpool in the second half of the season, but if Bent was to get injured in England's first game, I'd rather have him in reserve than the likes of Zamora or Daniel Sturridge.

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STARTING XI FOR ENGLAND'S FIRST GAME OF EURO 2012

(4-2-3-1)

Hart; Richards, Jagielka, Lescott, Cole; Parker, Wilshere; Young, Gerrard, Downing; Bent.