FABIO Capello should do his goalkeepers a favour and put the issue of who is England’s number one to bed right now.

It worries me that with 48 hours to go before we face the US, David James, Rob Green and Joe Hart still appear to be level-pegging in the manager’s reckoning. There were no clues dished out in the warm-up games that one name was pushing ahead of the other two, and it just strikes me that if I am anxious about who will be standing between the sticks on Saturday, the protagonists themselves will be 100 times worse.

The last thing we need on the eve of the big game is for all three prospective keepers to be pacing the halls of their hotel in their England slippers and dressing gowns, while opposite number Tim Howard gets a good night’s shut-eye, safe in the knowledge he’ll be pulling on his gloves at 7.30pm on Saturday.

It would be great to see Capello come into the morning press conference, stand up and announce his team Jose Mourinho-style, as a statement of true intent. But it appears the nerves are getting to the normally unflappable Italian too, if yesterday’s training ground rant at a photographer is anything to go by.

The truth is, there is no outstanding candidate for the number one shirt. James is technically superior but has a proven record of clanger-dropping and is the wrong side of 40, Green is solid enough but hardly screams international pedigree (particularly if you’ve seen him against Wanderers in the last few seasons) and for all Hart’s club form, is the youngster really ready for all that pressure?

No other major national team seems to be in the same pickle. Butt will keep goal for Germany, Lloris for France, Casillas for Spain, Buffon for Italy, Julio Cesar for Brazil.

Such is the confusion, bookmakers are offering 11-1 for Capello to use all three keepers during the competition. Of all the names on his team-sheet, the first one might well prove the most important for the England boss.