England manager Fabio Capello selects his final 23-man squad on Tuesday and although it is sure to be a tough decision it must have been even more difficult to decide to give the dreaded Gerrard-Lampard midfield axis one more try.

With Gareth Barry battling for fitness and his potential replacements all failing their auditions it looks like the duo will be given yet another chance, under a third England manager.

But if anybody can get it right it's Capello, and The Independent's Sam Wallace thinks it still has the potential to be a dream pairing.

"Fabio Capello gave every impression on Sunday night that, like his two most recent predecessors as England manager, he is convinced that he is the man who will finally solve the question of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard's incompatibility and mould them at last into an effective central midfield pairing.

On the brink of a World Cup finals with a carefully calibrated formation having won nine out of 10 qualifiers, it did feel like we were stepping back in time. To Euro 2004 perhaps, or the last World Cup four years ago. Or even the doomed qualification campaign for Euro 2008. History tells us that playing these two in central midfield together does not work but, like all the others, Capello wants a go.

In a different world, maybe with different managers, the Gerrard-Lampard axis could have been the basis for one of the greatest England teams ever. They are two marvellous players who have achieved great things for their club sides and had they been able to complement one another then life could have been so much different for England over the past two tournaments.

That was the holy grail for Eriksson and McClaren, that once the code was cracked then the team itself would be set free. Capello, ever the pragmatist, appeared to decide early on that it was a problem that would never be solved and split them up, like a teacher separating two naughty boys in class. But Gerrard and Lampard are back together now and, as we have said many times before, this time it has to work."

And it's not only Fabio who thinks he can make the incompatible duo work. Writing in his column in the Daily Mail, former England boss Glenn Hoddle writes: I wish I could have picked Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in my England midfield.

"Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in midfield together... so what' s to be worried about?

The two of them will arrive at the World Cup with goals all about them. Study the records, look at their power and menace from the midfield area. I'm telling you, any one of the other 31 countries would want to turn up with that sort of threat from midfield.

But we seem to want to turn it into a crisis. OK, you wouldn't want to play with the two of them against Brazil, where Kaka would be dropping off the front and finding pockets of space.

You wouldn't want them alone on duty against Spain's rapid movement and passing of Xavi and Iniesta, when we would always want to have an extra body - hopefully Gareth Barry.

But there is nothing for England to be afraid of in the group stages of this World Cup."