The international breaks have been coming thick and fast, and too much so for many of the club managers' liking, though November's friendlies will be the last for a considerable period. With that in mind WhoScored will be analysing, throughout the week, what is undoubtedly one of the most mouth-watering fixtures this coming weekend when World and European Champions Spain visit Wembley.
With both squads now having been announced, many England fans predict a drubbing with a number of notable absences from what most would consider as being Capello's strongest XI. Wayne Rooney has been left out as the Italian manager looks to his alternatives after the talisman's sending off against Montenegro, while the likes of Gerrard, Young and Wilshere are all injured.
There are no such worries for the visitors, whose squad would strike fear into any opponent, though their strikers are perhaps lacking some form upfront, with Messus Torres and Villa hitting just 5 goals in 19 appearances between them. Saying that, the attacking players likely to support a lone front man for Spain could not be in a richer vein of form, with David Silva perhaps the best of them right now.
We look at the best rated players from the respective squads to ascertain who best deserves a starting berth for each side, as well as establishing those who were most unfortunate to receive a call-up. While Spain's set-up is likely to be a familiar one, Fabio Capello must decide whether to contain a Spanish surge or attempt to match them like-for-like, which is rarely an option that is considered.
WhoScored England XI
Of the 25-man squad selected by Capello, four Manchester City players make our top rated XI, with Joe Hart's inclusion unsurprising despite a fairly meagre rating of 6.68 in the league this season. Kyle Walker pips regular right-back Glen Johnson with a rating of 7.01, while mainstay left-back Ashley Cole is also edged out by his reserve Leighton Baines.
Much has been made of John Terry's inclusion in the squad, and though he will not feature in the Spain game, with Frank Lampard captaining the side in his absence, the stats show that Terry deserves his place. A 6.85 average rating in the league is solid, if unspectacular, while Phil Jones' development at Manchester United has been far more impressive, as the youngster beats the likes of Lescott, Cahill and Jagielka in our XI.
Our midfield three is a fairly familiar one to the international scene. Scott Parker has performed admirably at Spurs but is just outdone by Gareth Barry in WhoScored ratings, while James Milner (7.55) and Frank Lampard (7.85) have been as reliable as ever for their clubs, earning the top two ratings in the entire squad.
Many feel that with Rooney omitted, England's attacking threat is somewhat weak. On the right-side of our three-pronged attack Adam Johnson gets in just ahead of potential debutant Daniel Sturridge, while a return to form for Aston Villa's Gabby Agbonlahor sees him rank as the best forward at Capello's disposal, playing much of his games from the left this term.
Upfront, Bobby Zamora has been preferred to Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch as the target man in Capello's plans, and his rating of 7.17 is the better of both Danny Welbeck and Darren Bent, who provide faster options from the bench.
Richards Heads List of Unfortunate Few
Micah Richards is perhaps the unluckiest not to have been called up for this week's friendlies, with Capello constantly overlooking the maturing young defender. While few can dispute Kyle Walker's selection having established himself as a Premier League regular with Tottenham, the Italian has overlooked Glen Johnson’s minimal involvement at Liverpool this term.
A look at the figures show that Richards' rating (7.1) outweighs Walker's (7.01) and Johnson's 6.66 and it isn't hard to see why, with the City man registering 4 assists, winning 73% of his aerial duels and making 2.3 tackles per game in the league thus far.
On the opposite side of the defence, regular feature Ashley Cole is in fact the fourth best rated left-back in the league thus far, behind Baines and both Ryan Taylor (6.9) and Stephen Warnock (6.92), neither of whom were selected. The latter has returned to form in excellent fashion after a poor season last year, making an exceptional 2.9 tackles per game and 3.4 interceptions per game, as well as winning 63% of his aerial duels for Villa.
A fit Ledley King is an unquestionable asset to any side and the Tottenham skipper's current run without serious injury has been of great benefit to his club and teammates. Centre-back may well be a problem area for England, particularly in Terry's absence against Spain, with King's rating of 6.87 better than the Three Lions' captain and considerably stronger than Lescott, Cahill and Jagielka.
WhoScored Spain XI
When looking at the best Spain XI from Vincente Del Bosque's squad, perhaps what is most frightening is the quality of players who won't even make the line-up. According to WhoScored ratings these should include the likes of Pique, Iniesta, Mata, Villa and Torres, who would walk into any side in club football.
Iker Casillas is the captain of his country and deservedly keeps out understudies Reina and Valdes according to WhoScored ratings with 7.05. If Ramos is chosen at centre-back due to the lack of competitive action played by either Pique or Puyol, Arbeloa may be seen as a weak link by the hosts. However, the former Liverpool man has been in fine form for Madrid this term, with an average rating of 7.66 the best of our back four.
It is on the other flank that England may focus their attentions, with the left-back slot undoubtedly the one that may be there for the taking in Spain. Jordi Alba's modest rating of 6.69 is better than Malaga's Igancio Monreal's figure and should see him start, while Madrid defenders Ramos and Albiol get the nod at the heart of our defence over their rivals from Barcelona.
Xabi Alonso's superb start to the season also sees him edge out his direct rival from Barca in Sergio Busquets, while the profitable re-launch of Cesc Fabregas' Nou Camp career sees him oust Andres Iniesta alongside Xavi. On the left side of our attacking three, Malaga's marquee signing Santi Cazorla has marginally bettered Chelsea's Juan Mata, 7.4 to 7.39.
On the right, David Silva is a player on fire right now for his club; with an average rating of 8.16 in the league the best of any on show come Saturday. Spain's options upfront are rarely an issue but may prove to be the toughest decision for Del Bosque to make this weekend, with David Villa (6.81) and Fernando Torres (6.3) both beaten by Fernando Llorente (6.94) in WhoScored ratings thus far.
Varas Heroics Deserving of Recognition
The likes of Pepe Reina and Victor Valdes have tried and failed for years to knock Iker Casillas off his perch as Spain's number one, though neither has realistically come close. One keeper who has been doing his best to impress in La Liga, and succeeding, is Sevilla's Javi Varas, though the 29-year-old was not worthy of inclusion in Del Bosque's books, despite his heroics in the league this term.
The Spanish stopper is the top rated keeper in all of Europe according to WhoScored, warranting an exceptional average rating of 7.55 having conceded just 8 goals in 11 games this season. Varas has kept 6 clean sheets, including a notable one against Barcelona which saw him awarded one of four man of the match awards already this campaign, having made a hefty 4.1 saves per game.
Young Atletico centre-back Alvaro Dominguez has impressed at both ends this season, scoring 3 goals in his 8 appearances in the league this season. Standout figures include a fantastic 85% aerial success rate, accumulating a 7.26 rating, which although worse than Albiol's 7.51, has come at a far more consistent rate than the Real man who has made just 2 appearances in the league.
While the left-back position remains relatively unclaimed, Vallecano defender Jose Casado will be hoping to keep up his decent form. The 25-year-old has an average rating of 7.01 from 9 appearances which is markedly better than Alba's 6.69 and could see him considered in future internationals. His impressive figure has come having made a remarkable 4.8 tackles and 5.7 interceptions per game compared to the Valencia man's 2 and 4.5 respectively.
Spain Still Massive Favourites
Despite a relative dip in form from some of their high-profile stars, particularly in attack, Spain's strength in-depth will see them as huge favourites despite England's home advantage. The average rating of the visiting sides' best XI according to WhoScored is a remarkable 7.53 in comparison to England's far from feeble 7.16, so the hosts are right to feel like underdogs. However, England's best route to success may come through attacking down the flanks, with Spain's full-backs a potential target for Capello's men to exploit. Whether they get that far up the pitch is another matter!
