MICK Mills, the former England and Ipswich captain, is concerned that Fabio Capello’s squad is not as strong as the one that Sven-Goran Eriksson took to the 2006 finals.

Mills still fancies England’s chances, but sees weaknesses in their squad from keeper to striker.

The tournament starts on June 11 with England set to reduce their squad from 30 down to 23 at the end of this month.

“This squad is not as strong as four years ago,” said Mills. But they can still do well if they all get to grips with the situation.”

Mills ran through the squad.

“The goalkeeping situation concerns me.

“Spain have three keepers who would all be an England first choice.

“I’d go for Robert Green. David James has done good things, but blown it a number of times.

“He’s 40 and after you reach 35 or 36 your body changes and you lose some of your sharpness.

“Joe Hart is too inexperienced and his time will come in say eight years’ time.

“The back four is also not as a sound as I would like with injury problems.

“It’s good to have Jamie Carragher in the squad as a defending right back. If the manager wants to attack more then Glen Johnson is perhaps the best.

“Rio Ferdinand, Ledley King and Ashley Cole to an extent have to prove their fitness while we know the troubles that John Terry has had.

“If they can all stay fit then it can be a decent back four.

“England are well served with midfielders and I can see this as a strength, but in attack the Wayne Rooney/Michael Owen partnership was one that stood out for me in 2006.

“It was like Peter Beardsley and Gary Lineker with one a clever manipulator and capable of getting the best out of situations and the other having pace and the ability to take chances when they came along.

“Other countries have better front partnerships than England will have particularly Spain with Fernando Torres and David Villa.

“It’s a case of Rooney plus one other and you can take your pick with Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey and perhaps Darren Bent.

“There is not an ideal partnership in the party and I would play Steve Gerrard off Rooney.

“If not I’d play Crouch in front and Rooney playing just behind and doing the buzzing around.”