CARLTON COLE (West Ham)
In all honesty, we chuckled back in September when Gianfranco Zola said Carlton Cole could play for England. Now with five goals in his last five games, the concept really doesn't seem so daft. And it's not only Cole's goals that are catching the eye, but also his pace, strength and intelligence. His performance against Fulham (in front of Capello) was a masterclass in leading the line, giving the previously-excellent Fulham duo of Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes a 90-minute headache. Darren Bent and Peter Crouch were in Capello's last squad - what price one of them making way for an in-form Cole who is learning from one of the finest forwards in recent English football history?
JAMES MILNER (Aston Villa)
A total of 40 England Under-21 caps is not usually an indication that many senior games will follow, but Milner was an early starter and it is only now - under Martin O'Neill - that Milner is reaching his full potential, benefiting from playing week in, week out in a young side based around the pace he has in abundance. There's obviously a queue on the right side for England but he's edged ahead of David Bentley and Aaron Lennon and cannot be far behind Shaun Wright-Phillips on current form. A long-overdue call-up will be welcomed by all those who applaud decent players with not a hint of Bertie Big-B***ocks in their demeanour.
GARY CAHILL (Bolton)
The call-up of Michael Mancienne must have come as a blow to the likes of Phil Jagielka, David Wheater, Michael Turner and particularly Cahill, who has been magnificent for Bolton since signing from Aston Villa a year ago. Undoubtedly the Trotters' player of the season so far, Cahill is a centre-half par excellence, helped by one of those magnetic heads that are a blessing to players in his position. Extra kudos is due for leaving Villa in search of first-team football at the age of 22 - rightly surmising that one step back but could lead to two steps forward.
LEE GRANT (Sheffield Wednesday)
Slightly left-field, you might think, but England goalkeeping coach Martin Thomas visited the Owls' training ground recently and said: "Lee Grant is certainly in our system. He has the ability, he's a great professional and I'm sure he has the ambition. We just hope he continues to progress and eventually move into the England squad." Having seen Grant in action many times, this writer would rate him amongst the best in the Championship - a league hardly blessed with English keepers. If Peterborough's Joe Lewis can get a call, Grant cannot be far down the list.
NIGEL REO-COKER (Aston Villa)
It might well be galling for Reo-Coker to find himself shunted to right-back to make room for Steven Sidwell as Luke Young covers for Nicky Shorey on the left, but he could take it as a compliment and also a boost in his bid to join half the Villa side on the plane to South Africa in 2010. Versatility is a handy characteristic in an international footballer (ask Phil Neville) - when you can only take 23 players, a decent right-back/midfielder can find himself ahead of a better, dedicated right-back in the reckoning. [i][u]
