Having brought three members of Manchester United's youthful band of Premier League leaders with him to Bulgaria, Capello must now decide which he will use.

Tom Cleverley looks set to be disappointed, but not Chris Smalling.

Now the internal debate surrounds Jones, with Capello admitting he has a swirl of thoughts going round in his mind.

"Some are ready, some are probably a risk because they didn't play at this level in such important games with the national team," he said.

"When you play important games for your club, you know the players who play with you, their movement, where you receive the ball.

"Here it's different. You play with the other team-mates, but sometimes you are alone."

Jones has made a massive impression since his £17million move from Manchester United, to the extent he kept Rio Ferdinand out of Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up for last weekend's annihilation of Arsenal, thereby costing the one-time skipper his place in Capello's squad.

He has trained alongside skipper John Terry for much of this week, further fuelling a belief Capello was about to choose the Chorley-born teenager.

The last training session pointed towards Gary Cahill though, the defender who remains at Bolton, who refused to entertain Tottenham's deadline-day bid.

Yet just getting so close is a measure of the ease with which Jones has adapted to life at Old Trafford.

Smalling has had 12 months' start. Even so, the 21-year-old, who is facing competition from Micah Richards and Phil Jagielka for the right-back role, has stunned Capello with the manner of his transition from central defence, which started during last month's Community Shield.

"He could," was Capello's reaction when asked if Smalling, less than three-and-a-half years after leaving non-league Maidstone, was capable of starting a competitive game for England

"He surprised me when he played at Wembley in the Community Shield against Manchester City," continued the Italian.

"He played well. In fact, the four games that he's played at right-back, he's played really well.

"I always saw him play in central defence before. He is playing with confidence. He has improved and improved."

In fact, the selection of Smalling could be one of the least contentious decisions Capello has to make when he mulls over his "few ideas".

Two of Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry and Tottenham new-boy Scott Parker are expected to get the nod in central midfield.

Theo Walcott, who has made his peace with the England coach over some pretty pointed remarks in his recently-released autobiography, and Stewart Downing will both be hopeful of starts, although Ashley Young is certain of selection somewhere.

Darren Bent's almost certain omission after he again missed training with a groin injury throws open the possibility of Young operating behind Wayne Rooney in attack.

However, Capello does have the option of choosing Liverpool's £35million front-man Andy Carroll ahead of Rooney, or Jermain Defoe, who scored a hat-trick when England put four past Bulgaria 12 months ago.

How to get the best out of Rooney will play a major role in Capello's thinking, even though Bulgaria coach Lothar Matthaus has threatened to neutralise the Manchester United man with a Germany-style man-marker.

"If you man mark him it would be difficult for the opponent. He'd need to run a lot," reflected Capello.

"Sometimes, if you play man-to-man against a player and don't have someone else helping him, it's really difficult. Not for Rooney, but for his marker.

"When you are dribbling and get past the defender, you're free."

It is clearly something Capello would welcome.

For, even though Rooney has only scored once for his country in two years, the Italian is witnessing a player at the very top of his game judging by that stellar hat-trick against Arsenal last weekend.

"Goals are a fantastic medicine for a forward," said Capello.

"He has scored a lot, including two really fantastic ones from free-kicks.

"He is in a very good moment. You can see it all the time. It makes a big difference to us because he is a really important.

"The players know Rooney at the top of his form can beat his opponent and other teams.

"He is happy. It's probably something to do with his hair."