As the World Cup draws closer, Capello will have his fingers crossed that none of his key men pick up injuries, particularly of the metatarsal variety. But along with the fitness of his players; Capello may also be concerned by the form of some of his players, particularly Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Both midfielders have been amongst the greatest players of the past decade; they are attacking midfielders of the highest calibre and certain to start England’s first game if fit. But their form this season has not been anywhere near what has been achieved in previous years and this is beginning to be a worry.

Lampard has scored at least 20 goals for Chelsea in each of his last four seasons and has a total of 100 goals in the last five. This is a truly remarkable record for a midfielder and his consistency during this period has established him as one of the best players in the world. This season however, he has struggled to find the same form for his club under Carlo Ancelotti. The switch to a diamond formation seemed to unsettle him and he especially struggled when played at the point of the diamond. He suffered a mini goal drought as he went 10 games without a goal earlier this season. His form has been slowly improving now that he has been moved to the right side of the diamond and while he is yet to hit top gear, there are positive signs. He has 9 goals now after a recent flurry and while he does not appear to be at his best yet, he is still capable of reaching 20 for the season again; Capello will be hopeful that by the summer he will be firing on all cylinders.

Gerrard’s form for Liverpool is a more pressing concern as the pressures of carrying his side may have finally taken their toll on the Liverpool captain. For years, he has had to pull rabbits out of hats for his side and this season the magic appears to be running out. He has never been as regular a goalscorer as Lampard, but his total of 6 goals this term is not the main concern. Gerrard’s general play has been lethargic and one suspects that he has had to play despite not being fully fit. There have been occasions, namely against Chelsea and Everton in the league, when his performances have been very poor. Rafa Benitez allegedly held talks with Gerrard before Christmas to discuss his poor form, but despite 2 goals in his last 2 games he does not yet look like the midfield powerhouse that he has been for so many years. Unlike Lampard, Gerrard’s general play has not improved and as one of England’s greatest attacking weapons, Capello will be keeping a keen eye on his progress at Anfield in the coming months.

England are not blessed with a multitude of world-class players in their side; of the current crop, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand, Cole and Rooney are the only ones who could be genuinely seen as players of the highest calibre. For England to succeed in South Africa, all these players must perform to the best of their abilities and hope that the others do not let them down. If either Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard is still struggling for form at the end of the season, Capello will have some major concerns about his side’s prospects.

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