Fabio Capello insists he has not given David Beckham the chance to win his 100th England cap next week for sentimental reasons.The England manager believes 32-year-old Beckham has a role to play in England's future, starting with Wednesday's friendly against France in Paris.

And he refutes any suggestion that he had been put under pressure by the Football Association to pick Beckham to sell tickets.

Capello said: "Let's get one thing straight, I don't call players up to do them a favour. I call them up with a view to future games and what I need to do in the future.

"It's not my style to call someone up to do them a favour. I call up players who I believe are important to the team. I believe he is going to be useful.

"Good players are good players whether they play in the US or England or in Spain.

"On top of that I believe David Beckham is probably fresher than other players at the moment because he has just started his season."

Capello refused to pick Beckham for his first squad against Switzerland last month despite the Los Angeles Galaxy star having trained for a month with Arsenal during the Major League Soccer close season.

The American season has still not begun in earnest but Beckham has come through several pre-season matches and was watched last weekend by Capello's assistant and closest confidante, Franco Baldini.

Capello, his English not yet fluent enough to speak without the aid of an interpreter at FA headquarters in Soho Square, said: "The previous match he was not fit because he had not played any games. He is now fit.

"When David is fit, he can always make an important contribution because of his vision and the fact that he can cross the ball and create chances, not only from free-kicks but during open play as well.

"We have to watch him in training. The important thing is that he is available and fit."

When asked whether he felt under pressure to pick the world's most famous footballer for his 100th cap, Capello said: "In my career and my life as a football coach and manager I have always made my own decisions and I have never been put under pressure because those who choose me know me."

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard, Capello's first captain against Switzerland, looks certain to lose the armband against France.

Capello has always maintained he would rotate the role of skipper and admitted he was still mulling over who would be captain against France, saying he had "two or three ideas". He reiterated that a permanent skipper would not be chosen until before the World Cup qualifiers begin in September.

He also brushed aside suggestions that it was traditional for a player winning his 100th cap to be captain.

"I'll look it up," he said tongue in cheek.

"But I am not aware of a ruling that players getting their 100th cap will be captain for the day."

FIFA have confirmed there is no such protocol.

He did concede, however, that his biggest challenge was to get England's underachieving players, who failed to qualify for Euro 2008, performing for their country in the manner they do so creditably in the Premier League week in and week out.

He admitted: "This is the target I have to achieve in the five friendly games I have at my disposal before the competitive games.

"I am working towards understanding what needs to be done and gathering information in order to avoid making the mistakes of the past."

Capello was anxious to explain that 21-year-old Middlesbrough defender David Wheater had been included in his 30-man squad to demonstrate that young players have registered on his radar as well as established names. The same might be said

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