WORLD CUP:FABIO CAPELLO has endured his most turbulent 24 hours as England manager after the Football Association forced him to shelve the controversial Capello Index project, and the make-up of his provisional World Cup squad was disrupted by a late rejection from Paul Scholes.

The head coach has announced a 30-man party to attend a pre-tournament training camp in Austria with Gareth Barry a late inclusion after bringing forward an assessment on his ankle ligament injury to May 24th. The Fulham forward, Bobby Zamora, called Capello to rule himself out with an achilles problem, yet it was only late yesterday morning that the Italian’s initial optimism that Scholes would return from self-imposed international retirement was dashed.

The 35-year-old midfielder, who gained the last of his 66 caps at Euro 2004, had offered Capello and the England general manager, Franco Baldini, reason to believe he might follow Jamie Carragher out of exile by making himself available for the finals in South Africa and had been sleeping on a decision.

“We had been monitoring him for the second part of the season when he’s played very well,” Capello said. “We tried to convince him to come back, but he said ‘no’. He preferred to stay with his family.”

If the late and unexpected courting of Scholes lent the selection process an air of desperation, then the disappointment at his rejection maintained Capello’s troubled day. The England coach declined to speak at length about the Capello Index, launched 24 hours previously much to the FA’s surprise, which would have seen ratings for his players appearing within two hours of a World Cup game this summer.

While the 63-year-old, who earns €7million a year with England, was never due to analyse matches himself, his employers were uncomfortable with his involvement and, after the head coach met with senior FA staff yesterday morning, the launch of the project was suspended until after the World Cup.

“Fabio Capello’s involvement has been purely as a technical expert to establish statistical criteria for the index,” a spokesman for Capello said. “However, he wants to ensure all appropriate protocols are in place before the project proceeds and has therefore decided to postpone it.”

There will be no further leeway to put back a decision on Barry’s fitness, with his hopes of participating in South Africa now hinging on the results of medical checks to be undertaken while his England team-mates play Mexico at Wembley on May 24th.

Scott Parker, one of five in the squad who have not kicked a ball under Capello, has been included. Manchester City’s Adam Johnson and Spurs’ Michael Dawson are the only uncapped players involved.

Joe Cole’s late-season form at Chelsea has earned him a recall.

“I selected these players because, for me, they are the best 30 players,” Capello said. “I don’t know my final 23 yet. I have some doubts about some players, so this is a trial period before I speak to [the seven to be omitted] on June 1st.”

England squad

Goalkeepers

James (Portsmouth), Green (West Ham), Hart (Manchester City).

Defenders

A Cole (Chelsea), Terry (Chelsea), Ferdinand (Manchester Utd), G Johnson (Liverpool), King (Tottenham), Carragher (Liverpool), Upson (West Ham), Dawson (Tottenham), Baines (Everton), Warnock (Aston Villa).

Midfielders

Gerrard (Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), Carrick (Manchester Utd), Milner (Aston Villa), Walcott (Arsenal), Barry (Manchester City), J Cole (Chelsea), Huddlestone (Tottenham), Parker (West Ham), Lennon (Tottenham), A Johnson (Manchester City), Wright-Phillips (Manchester City).

Forwards: Rooney (Manchester Utd), Crouch (Tottenham), Heskey (Aston Villa), D Bent (Sunderland), Defoe (Tottenham).