International friendly preview: England v Ghana

England meet World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana in a friendly at Wembley with another new captain and seven changes to the team.

Fabio Capello has released six players who started England’s 2-0 Euro 2012 qualifying victory over Wales on Saturday.With reinstated skipper John Terry among those to return to their clubs, Gareth Barry becomes the next man to inherit the armband, despite being left out of the team at the Millennium Stadium.Tottenham Hotspur’s Michael Dawson has also been released, meaning Gary Cahill will be rewarded for his excellent form at Bolton Wanderers with a place in the centre of the defence.Cahill will partner Everton’s Phil Jagielka in Tuesday’s match. Another Goodison Park man, Leighton Baines, will take over from Ashley Cole at left-back.West Ham United captain Scott Parker is a doubt with a slight niggle. If passed fit, he is expected to remain in midfield, alongside Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere.In attack, Wayne Rooney will not be involved, leaving room for Liverpool striker Andy Carroll to make his second full international appearance.England will already be familiar with some of the Ghana squad, a number of whom ply their trade in the Premier League. Captain John Mensah, striker Asamoah Gyan and attacking midfielder Sulley Muntari all play for Sunderland, John Paintsil is at Fulham and Richard Kingson keeps goal at Blackpool. “I have never played at Wembley so it is like a dream come true,” Gyan said.”This is a huge game for us Ghanaians.”One Ghanaian star of the Premier League who will not be involved is Chelsea’s Michael Essien. The midfielder has suffered two serious injuries on international duty in the past two years and is reluctant make himself available again.”I will definitely return to the team at some point in the future however it won’t be for the upcoming games,” Essien said in February.The 28-year-old’s decision has not been well received back home.”Essien … has shown little commitment to the cause of the Black Stars, and it is high time we forgot about him,” former Ghana FA president Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe said earlier this month.