Soccer: Almunia for England

Fabio Capello may have seen only seven Englishmen on show in this week's Champions League semifinals but there was also one goalkeeper who could be eligible for his England team.

He will consider picking Manuel Almunia if the Arsenal goalkeeper gets a British passport. The ball is in the court of the man from Pamplona. He was excellent against Manchester United in the first leg and is potentially the only English goalkeeper who is first choice for a big four club.

If Almunia is willing to get the passport - after five years in England, he is eligible in July - then Capello will back him over all the inevitable voices of protest, even if they come from within the Football Association.

Recent performances would have Almunia in the England team ahead of David James, who is nowhere near the Champions League with Portsmouth.

The seven Englishmen who featured in the semifinals were John Terry, Frank Lampard, Theo Walcott, Kieran Gibbs, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney.

For some, that will be the cause of much hand-wringing over the future of the England team but let's put it in context. Of the 24 nationalities represented among the 54 players on show (including substitutes), England had the third-highest total.

France were top with nine players, followed by Spain with eight. Portugal had only two, although one was Cristiano Ronaldo, officially the best player in the world. Germany? Just the one: Chelsea's Michael Ballack. The Netherlands also had just one, Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, and no outfield players. Croatia? Just one and he - Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva - is really Brazilian.

It will not have escaped Capello's attention that there was not a single Italian among any of the four semifinalists. And they are the world champions.

- INDEPENDENT