Speculation surrounding David Beckham's bid for a 100th England national team appearance continues to fire up the English press and public, with some reports suggesting the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder could be dropped for next Wednesday's friendly against Switzerland.

Despite Beckham having been backed by several leading soccer figures, such as his former managers Sir Alex Ferguson, Steve McClaren and Sven Goran Eriksson, new England boss Fabio Capello is apparently still undecided on whether Beckham deserves a place in the team.

The situation has been made trickier by the fine form of youngsters David Bentley and Aaron Lennon and the fact that Becks is short on match practice.

Only Capello knows what he is really thinking, but if he does drop Beckham, he would be creating an awkward spot for himself. The English public is desperate for Beckham to reach three figures and would love to recognize his efforts for the national team with a stirring ovation at Wembley Stadium.

For Capello, the sensible option would be to pick him for the Switzerland game, make him captain for the night and allow the issue of the 100th cap to go away. As McClaren learned, beginning your reign in charge by dropping your most experienced and famous player is not exactly the best move.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"Hopefully he will get his 100th cap and then I will come on for him as sub. I really respect him, and it is nice to hear people sometimes describe me as the next David Beckham, but it is a dog eat dog world" – David Bentley, Blackburn Rovers midfielder.

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