Beckham and Hart await Capello picks

Former Shrewsbury Town keeper Joe Hart joined David Beckham in anxiously waiting to hear whether he will get the call from Fabio Capello today.

Beckham could to earn an historic 108th cap in Berlin next Wednesday.

For Hart it would be a second call up to an England squad after his appearance against Trinidad & Tobago in the summer.

Beckham was expected to be part of Fabio Capello’s squad for England’s first meeting with a unified Germany in the capital city since 1938.

However, LA Galaxy’s woeful MLS campaign ended a month ago, since when Beckham has not played a competitive match, raising a massive question mark over his chances of being in Capello’s squad.

The 33-year-old collected his 107th cap as a substitute against Belarus, leaving him just one short of Bobby Moore’s record for an outfield player.

There seems even less chance of Michael Owen being involved even though he has played a part in Newcastle’s last two games after missing three matches with a groin injury.

Manchester City keeper Hart, Middlesbrough defender David Wheater and Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor can look forward to the squad announcement with more confidence.

The trio were the most notable absentees from Stuart Pearce’s Under-21 squad to face the Czech Republic on Tuesday and as they are all currently fit, it seems certain their omission is merely due to their involvement at senior level.

Much to the consternation of City boss Mark Hughes and Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate, Hart and Wheater were put on an overnight flight to Minsk to link up with a depleted squad for the World Cup qualifying win over Belarus.

Agbonlahor, a man Capello has been watching keenly for some time, should have been on the trip as well but was forced to pull out with a hamstring injury.

By Simon Stone