Last chance: Darren Bent left) has final opportunity to get on plane

Bent, who scored 24 goals in 38 league games for Sunderland last season, made his debut under Sven-Goran Eriksson four years ago, against Uruguay at Anfield and last played for Capello in the November friendly with Brazil in Qatar. He has won five caps and is yet to score.

“Darren Bent is fit,” Capello said. “He will start. David James will also start, and Tom Huddlestone, who will play in midfield.”

The England manager also confirmed that Aaron Lennon will start, possibly on the left.

Capello revealed that he has made up his mind about 20 of the 23 players who he will announce in his World Cup squad on Tuesday and that the three remaining slots will be decided by how the final candidates perform in Graz against Japan.

That means the friendly has effectively become an audition for Bent and Huddlestone, while Adam Johnson and Joe Cole will have to hope they can impress from the bench. The latter will come on at half time, possibly for Theo Walcott, who is pencilled in to start ahead of James Milner.

If, as expected, Michael Dawson, Stephen Warnock, Scott Parker and Shaun Wright-Phillips are left out of the starting XI, their chances of going to South Africa arte all but over.

Capello is planning to start with his first-choice back four of Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Ashley Cole while Frank Lampard returns in midfield. Capello said Steven Gerrard “is training very well, with absolutely no problem” but is rested because he was “tired after the game against Mexico”.

The England manager also revealed that he will include Gareth Barry in his final squad if the Manchester City midfielder is fit enough to start full training on June 13, the day after England’s opening game with the United States.