With Fabio Capello claiming his is not looking forward to facing the players who don't make the World Cup squad and England beating Egypt 3-1 at Wembley this week, Sunday's columnists have indulged in a bit of prophesying.

Who will be on the plane to South Africa? Is the topic of choice and opinion is certainly split.

Writing in The Times, Jonathan Northcroft envisions Cappello's cull to be a bit like eviction night on Big Brother, with contestants all grouped together awaiting the announcement of their fate.

"The dynamics of eviction night are, however, clear. The players will be informed well in advance of a June 1 public announcement and they will be informed, not individually, but ensemble. “I prefer to speak with the players,” Capello says. “We will have a meeting. We will speak together. I will say, ‘Thank you very much, but . . . ’ It will not be the best moment for me.

Some key omissions have already been more or less made. Michael Owen knew he was not going long before his season-ending hamstring injury in the Carling Cup final. Likewise, Joe Cole knows he should not wait until June before phoning Jamie Redknapp for package holiday advice.

But Walcott, Lennon or Wright-Phillips? All three have had dazzling games for England but none has done so consistently and Walcott, who looked the most certain for a World Cup place at the start of the season, is enduring the most torrid period of his career."

Over at The Observer, Paul Wilson focuses on the David Beckham question and claims that his inclusion no longer makes sense for England.

"Late into Wednesday night Capello was still being questioned about whether he could find a place in his squad for Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon as well as Walcott and Beckham, bearing in mind that he now employs Steven Gerrard as a notional left-winger. Yes, was the answer. And don't forget there's Stewart Downing as well.

Actually, there's Ashley Young and David Bentley to add to that list, and James Milner is only being excluded because he plays in an infield position for Aston Villa. If we stick to out-and-out wingers and assume England need four, it follows that for Beckham to go to South Africa, someone of the calibre of Downing, Lennon, Walcott or Wright-Phillips must miss out, and that is before you get further down the list to players such as Young, Bentley and Adam Johnson."