According to Fabio Capello, England are cursed.

If this is really the case, then the perpetrator of this cynical brand of World Cup witchcraft clearly doesn’t know a great deal about football.

Yes, the loss of Rio Ferdinand is a significant blow, but talk of a curse is ridiculous. The unspectacular truth is that England have suffered one of the inevitabilities of football – players get injured. Just like Didier Drogba, Arien Robben and Michael Ballack – Rio Ferdinand is simply the victim of rotten luck.

Whilst there is an understandable outpouring of sympathy for the England captain, the squad needs to move on swiftly and not dwell on the loss. Then, as the dust settles and pragmatism prevails, Fabio Capello will come to the conclusion that the Manchester United man wasn’t the worst player he could have lost.

Most would consider Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Ferdinand to be England’s key players. Others may have the ability to turn matches, but if these five were to perform at their peak, then England should reach the semi-finals.

If the nation had genuinely fallen fowl of some dark footballing voodoo, then surely we would be bemoaning the fact that it was Rooney booking an early ticket home. Whilst hardly the ideal situation, Ferdinand was definitely the most disposable of England’s five key men. Replacing Rooney, Lampard or Gerrard would have left Capello a far more challenging task.

John Terry may have had his problems last season, but his performances were still significantly better than those of his injury plagued defensive partner. Despite the lack of an armband, he still remains England’s overriding dressing room influencer and key centre-half. Alongside the Chelsea captain, Ferdinand’s loss will be significantly cushioned by the presence of a genuine world class replacement.

It’s a massive understatement to say that Ledley King’s career has been blighted by injury. But timing, as they say, is everything and the Spurs man has scheduled one of his short windows of match fitness perfectly for the World Cup Finals. Last season’s imperious performances against Chelsea and Arsenal reminded everyone of his superb pedigree that will now fill Ferdinand’s boots in South Africa. As long as he avoids the dreaded curse himself, of course…

Roy Hodgson recently spoke about his experience of taking Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup. He was advised by his assistant Mike Kelly to pick his five or six ‘squad’ players purely based upon personality. The theory being that, as they were unlikely to play, why not go for characters who would have a positive effect off the pitch?

Could this be the reason Theo Walcott isn’t going to South Africa?

Based plainly on ability there is very little to choose between the Arsenal winger and Shaun Wright Phillips. If anything, Walcott’s raw unpredictability makes him a more likely candidate to transform a match from the bench. However, the truth is that neither would play an integral part on the pitch during the tournament.

So has Capello sacrificed the Arsenal man based upon personality? Whilst I’m sure Theo is a nice enough bloke, Shaun Wright Phillips is known to be a popular, ebullient character who is still very close to the Chelsea contingency. Considering the squad could be away for over a month, such personalities are vital in maintaining team spirit and morale.

Leighton Baines was left out because he told the manager he gets homesick. Capello’s job was made easy, as the last thing he would want is a moping presence in the camp. Conversely, you need bubbly, popular characters to create a positive atmosphere, which is why Wright Phillips edged out Walcott. Just ask Roy Hodgson, he picked his Swiss ‘squad’ players purely on merit – a decision he still regrets to this day.

Sacrifice is an often overlooked aspect of football management. But Fabio Capello seems to have mastered the art. The Italian has the conviction and belief to make unpopular decisions for the greater good. All of which leads on nicely to Emile Heskey.

With just 5 goals last season, and 7 in 58 internationals, it’s almost easy to forgive the ongoing barrage of criticism of the Villa striker.  It’s a well worn point that he is hardly the most talented footballer in England.

But in spite of this – anyone who says he shouldn’t start against the USA is wrong. In his last 10 matches alongside the Villa forward, Wayne Rooney scored 9 goals. Whilst in the last 10 without him he has only scored twice.

Quite simply, Rooney is at his best when playing off Heskey, whose sheer physical presence occupies defenders in deep lying positions. This allows the Man United striker to get involved with play facing goal earlier – which is exactly where England need him. All the other cited parings and formations make Rooney more of a target man, resulting in more time spent with his back to goal. This lessens his potency and in turn England’s greatest goalscoring threat.

If picked, Emile Heskey will agitate, infuriate and probably miss a few sitters. Fabio Capello knows this already. But if he does opt for the Villa man, he might just be sending out the sacrificial lion who carries England to the semi-finals.

And then who knows what might happen?