On the eve of England’s opening game against USA, coach Fabio Capello has stated his team can reach the World Cup final, along with confirming that Gareth Barry will be fit enough to be named on the bench for Saturday’s game.

Capello is confident that his squad are ready for the test that Bob Bradley’s team will provide in Rustenburg.

“England are ready for this match,” Capello said. “The first game is always hard because expectation levels are really big. But we have been here eight days, training has gone very well and we are confident. We know the expectation levels of the fans is really good. I genuinely believe we have a squad that can make it to the final.”

The Italian said on Thursday that he already knows his starting XI for the Group C clash, but he will not let his players know until two hours before kick off.

“I will not tell the players who is playing until two hours before the game, which is what I always do,” Capello said. “The reason I do that is because if you name the side overnight and then someone is injured, it is not easy to recall the other player who was not originally picked.”

“What I am looking for is the same spirit that England showed in qualification games for the World Cup. I want us to be really compact on the pitch.

“These players are physically fine and their minds are very focused on this game coming up. They have a lot of desire and appetite to do well. The players here are the best English players. I am confident.

On Manchester City’s Barry, Capello confirmed he has returned from training following an ankle injury.

“He has been training normally for three days, training hard, and he will be on the bench.”

Capello also spoke about star striker Wayne Rooney, commenting that while he wants the Manchester United star to preserve his all-action style, he must must respect the tournament’s officials.

“I hope we see the same Rooney during the World Cup,” he said. “I have spoken with him but Rooney is a fantastic player because he wants to win. The hunger in him is very strong to win. But you have to be careful every time and also in this World Cup you have to be careful and respect the referees.”

England and USA are joined in Group C by Algeria and Slovenia, who also go head-to-head on Saturday.