England's 'problem left side' used to be about who could play on the wide side of midfield, thus the endless experimentation with the likes of Jason Wilcox, Steve Guppy, Stuart Ripley, Darren Anderton, Trevor Sinclair and Joe Cole.
Now with Ashley Cole in a serious race be fit for the World Cup and Wayne Bridge 'retiring' from the squad, Maxim desperately runs down the list of possible replacements. VOTE for your choice of World Cup left-back NOW!
LEIGHTON BAINES (Everton)
Probably the immediate favourite, the 5m signing from Wigan has finally made the left-back slot his own in a decent side pushing for Europe. He has plenty of U-21 caps under his belt, has good delivery and is a threat from set-pieces, but he's not the fastest man in the world.
STEPHEN WARNOCK (Aston Villa)
A very solid, hard-tackling defender, who again, has cemented a place in a good Premiership side. He will certainly offer England a bit more stability at the back, but lacks the attacking adventure of Cole. His lack of international experience will also be a concern, but that never hampered Danny Mills' surprise performances at the 2002 World Cup
PHIL NEVILLE (Everton)
England's ex-utility man has tons of experience (59 caps) and has proven to be a decent leader as captain of Everton. However, at 33, he's getting on a bit, hasn't figured for England since 2007, and more importantly, rarely fills in at full-back these days.
JAMES MILNER (Aston Villa)
A superb performer for Villa this season, the silky, hard-running wide-man is well-known for his versatility has put in a few shifts for the Villains in the left-back slot before. But can England really risk filling the left-back void with a man whose not naturally accustomed to the role?
JOLEON LESCOTT (Manchester City)
He used to play left-back for Everton - ironically keeping Leighton Baines benched after he first joined - but has long since established himself as a central defender, a position he feels far more comfortable in. He's also not enjoyed the best of seasons at Man City.
GARETH BARRY (Manchester City)
An England ever-present under Cappello and one of England's most consistent midfield anchor men, he did however first break into the international reckoning as a left-back under Keegan in 2000. But that was a very long time ago. Surely, he can't be considered for a major 're-positioning' now?
ROGER JOHNSON (Birmingham City)
A massive outside shot, the 5million signing from Cardiff City has enjoyed an excellent debut season in the Premiership and is clearly playing classic 'no fear' football. But can Cappello possibly put his faith in a player who, up until the summer, had never competed a single Premiership game? If he made it, he'd be 2010's Nicky Shorey...
NICKY SHOREY (Aston Villa, currently on-loan at Fulham)
Won two full caps under Steve McClaren following some superb Premiership performances after Reading won promotion, but has since fallen from grace. Yet despite failing to make the grade at Villa, he's doing pretty well on loan at Fulham as a replacement for the crocked Paul Konchesky...
PAUL KONCHESKY (Fulham)
Gritty, determined full-back who has a couple of previous full caps under his belt, he had a poor final season at West Ham, but has shone at Fulham. He's been out injured for a while though, so fitness issues would pose a serious question.
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