His ears might have been burning, given the talismen for Manchester United and Liverpool were injured in his care, but that would not have been the reason for the Italian's discomfort.

It was more the reminder - and the dread - of what lies ahead over the next eight months.

Every weekend, waiting for the phone to ring. Every Champions League date, all the cups. Day after day, fingers and toes crossed. Capello knows so much of his World Cup dream is balanced on the fickle finger of fortune.

"I have been to a World Cup," said Capello, reflecting on his own experience in 1974 when Italy arrived in West Germany highly fancied but were dumped out of the tournament in the first round.

"You must know what you have to do on the pitch and the style you have to play.

"But you also have to arrive fit. This is the most important thing. Really fit. Fit, fit, fit. Only after that can you create the spirit of the group."

Each "fit" is delivered with more force, as if drumming home a lesson to a reluctant schoolboy.

That is why the days since Wednesday's victory over Belarus have been a reminder of what England could achieve. And how quickly it can be ripped away.

"I have said a lot of times, we can win against all the teams," said Capello.

"I have a lot of confidence in my players. But it depends on their form when we get to the World Cup.

"At this point of the season we are really strong. It is not easy to play against us because physically we are at our peak.

"But the Premier League, Champions League and the FA Cup are really important. You have to expend a lot of energy trying to win them and it is possible some players will not arrive at the World Cup in a very good condition."

Capello has vowed not to consider the make up of his final 23 man squad until April, by which time he will have a rough idea whether the curse of the broken metatarsal is going to strike.

Before that, he will go on absorbing those lessons he is so fond of, aware next month's prestigious friendly with Brazil in Qatar represents his final chance to get his squad together for an extended period, given player release with not be easy for a two-day build-up to a match on March 3 and there is no point even asking for a get-together away from an actual match.

"It would be good to stay together for two days; for a Wednesday and a Thursday, but the managers would not be happy," he said.

So, Brazil on November 14 represents the centre-piece of Capello's mid-season planning. He has already seen England swept aside by Spain. Now he needs to find out how his players stand up to the other tournament co-favourites.

"The Brazil game is important because it will allow me to understand what happens against the South American countries," he said.

"They have a different style. Their technique is really good. They are good one-on-one. They dribble.

"They also use their imagination. More than anything, that is the different style of the South American players. We have to understand what is going to happen."

At least Capello is getting to understand a few things about his own team. Rooney and Gerrard have missed matches for United and Liverpool before. Now their boss at international level has an idea of what to do if England are doubly inconvenienced.

"It is important not to just be about one player," he said.

"I like Rooney. But people have to understand we are one team, not one player.

"We can play with a different style. Peter Crouch and Gabriel Agbonlahor are different to the other players but they are both dangerous. And they both score goals."