For Ryan Shawcross it was the best of days and the worst of days. The 22-year-old Stoke centre-half was in tears as he left the pitch following his dismissal for the dreadful lunge that broke Aaron Ramsey's leg, and still in tears when his mother drove him away from the Britannia Stadium, but although the decision was in the balance for a while he eventually learned of his first England call-up.

There is no doubt Shawcross's inclusion in the squad to face Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday is merited, particularly as Fabio Capello found himself unable to call on the injured Rio Ferdinand and likely reserve Gary Cahill, but the England manager and his assistant Franco Baldini still delayed the announcement of the squad by over half an hour as they debated the likely repercussions of a particularly serious injury. There could be no doubt over the Stoke defender's remorse about the incident, however, and that may have counted in his favour.

While Shawcross may have had some hint of his elevation before the game, when Capello revealed on Friday that he was considering a young centre-half as a new addition to the squad, he could not possibly have expected to gain recognition on the same day he received the first red card of his professional career. The severity of the injury to Ramsey cannot help but cloud the occasion for Shawcross, yet at the same time his unblemished record suggests Capello would have been wrong to jump to a hasty conclusion.

There were no real surprises in the rest of Capello's squad, unless you count the selection of Theo Walcott and Stewart Downing and the absence of Joe Cole; the inclusion of Leighton Baines and Stephen Warnock had been heavily advertised since Wayne Bridge's withdrawal and England had few other options to turn to for immediate left-back cover. "I hope Warnock will still be fit after the Carling Cup final," Capello said. "I know of his ability, he has improved a lot with Aston Villa, and so has Baines with Everton. They are both good players and in good form."

ENGLAND SQUAD

David James, Robert Green, Joe Hart; Wes Brown, James Milner, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Joleon Lescott, Ryan Shawcross, Leighton Baines, Stephen Warnock; David Beckham, Theo Walcott, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Steven Gerrard, Michael Carrick, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stewart Downing; Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Carlton Cole