What The Papers Say - 3 September

Friday's Everton-related paper talk.

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.

PHIL JAGIELKA has received the backing of Fabio Capello as he prepares to stake his claim for a regular starting place in the England team.

The Everton centre-back is poised to start tonight’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria after shaking off an ankle injury he picked up at Villa Park last weekend.

Jagielka, who narrowly missed out on a call up for Capello’s ill-fated World Cup squad, has featured in subsequent friendlies and trained yesterday ahead of the crucial double header.

Capello was pleased with Jagielka’s performance in the 2-1 victory over Hungary, and will be relieved he is set to recover and ease his injury problems in defence at Wembley tonight.

And he backed Jagielka and West Ham’s Matthew Upson to settle into a solid partnership at the back quickly.

He said: “The training was really good, the players are OK and some problems we had in the last two days are getting better.

“Jagielka is fit, he trained well, there is a little bit of pain but I think for tomorrow he will be 100%.

“I'm not concerned but I know that the central defenders will play for the first time together tomorrow. I hope they will be really focusing every moment of the game and I hope Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson will help these two players, and also the midfield.”

The players will be keen to make amends for a disappointing World Cup, and Capello is confident England will regain the form which saw them qualify for the tournament with nine wins from 10 games.

“It's part of a manager's job,” Capello said concerning the pressures facing him. “When you win, you're the best. When you lose, you're the worst.

“I learn something after a new experience. I changed something, but not a lot. We have to play without fear. I thought the players trained very well, with confidence, and I hope tomorrow we can see the same during the game.

“Bulgaria will not be an easy game to play, they are really good technically, they defend with nine players – one forward – and they play on the counter, really fast. Their quality is good but we have to win, we have to play well, and I hope also the fans will support us during the game.”

Jagielka has already admitted that making the squad for the qualifiers has been a huge motivating factor for him as he battles to fire Everton’s underwhelming start to the season.

He said: “It's supposedly a new era and he’s changing things round, but the manager might bring a few people back for the qualifiers.

“But I was desperate to get in this squad and try and stay in it. The squad is quite different with about ten different people in it since I was last in.”

PHIL JAGIELKA has told his England team-mates to put their World Cup flop behind them if they are to qualify for the European Championships in 2012.

The Everton FC defender is expected to recover from an ankle injury in time to win his fourth cap against Bulgaria tonight.

After appearances in friendly matches against Trinidad, Spain and then Hungary last month, this will be his first competitive appearance for his country.

And the 28-year-old admits that nothing less than a home win before next Tuesday’s clash with Switzerland will be good enough.

“It was a frustrating time for all the lads who were out in South Africa, but we’ve put that behind us now,” he said.

“We have to do what we did in the build to the World Cup and win all out home qualifiers.

“We all know that we have to get the squad together, put in some good performances and then hopefully we will do better in the European Championships.”

Goalkeeper Scott Carson was yesterday released from the England squad following a family bereavement.

Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach has been called up from the under-21s as his replacement.

Carson was hoping to make his first England appearance since the victory over Germany in Berlin in November 2008, although the role has always been earmarked for Manchester City’s Joe Hart.

However, the news does highlight the lack of goalkeeping depth available to Capello.

Loach ended up being the understudy to Hart for last month’s friendly win over Hungary when current number two Ben Foster withdrew through injury and Paul Robinson retired.