Watford: England coach Fabio Capello is hoping Wayne Rooney will rediscover the goal-scoring touch that evaded him at the World Cup when qualifying begins for the 2012 European Championship against Bulgaria on Friday.
The 24-year-old striker has failed to find the net for England since last September and hasn't managed to get a goal from open play for Manchester United since March.
But Capello believes that converting a penalty kick against West Ham on Saturday will help to boost Rooney's confidence going into the Euro 2012 double-header, which includes a match in Switzerland on Tuesday.
"He is good, he is back," Capello said on Thursday at the England team hotel. "It was important for him to get the penalty. It is important for every forward to score goals. I saw the game against West Ham. He has improved a lot. It is a good moment for him and I think he will be OK for the game against Bulgaria.
"It is always important for forwards to score for confidence."
But Manchester United's assistant manager Mike Phelan claimed earlier this week that Rooney is still not fully fit having played at the World Cup on the back of ankle and groin injuries and came home "a little bit disheveled."
England captain Steven Gerrard, though, said that Rooney has "looked really sharp the last couple of days" in training ahead of the team's first competitive match since going out of the World Cup in the second round with a 4-1 loss to Germany.
Jermain Defoe looks likely to partner Rooney up front due to Peter Crouch's withdrawal with a back injury.
But Capello warned Rooney that penetrating the compact Bulgarian defense could prove tough. England has never lost to Bulgaria in their eight meetings, but four matches have been drawn.
"They are a technical team who play with a lot of passes and their defending is really good," Capello said. "It will not be easy to play against them, they will defend with nine players and one forward and play the counterattack really fast and with quality.
"But this is not an excuse — we have to win, we have to play well."
Capello's plans were rocked at the weekend by Chelsea duo John Terry and Frank Lampard withdrawing through injury.
Lampard is to have a groin operation, while Terry has been requiring injections to play for Chelsea with a hamstring injury.
"(Terry) told us he had to stay at home because he cannot play all the games," Capello said. "At halftime in the game against Hungary he said he couldn't carry on. He was with us then. Now he needs to relax in order to be fit for the next games."
Lampard's midfield spot will be taken by Manchester City's James Milner, while Phil Jagielka will fill in for Terry in central defense after recovering from an ankle injury.
Jagielka will be partnered by either Matthew Upson or Michael Dawson, with Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand still to fully recover from the knee injury sustained on the eve of the World Cup.
"The central defenders will play for the first time together tomorrow," Capello said. "I hope they will be really focusing every moment and I hope (full backs Ashley) Cole and (Glen) Johnson will help these players."
Goalkeeper Scott Carson was released from the squad following a family death and Watford's Scott Loach will step up from the under-21 squad to take his place.
But Carson and Ben Foster will be on the bench at Wembley Stadium. Manchester City 'keeper Joe Hart has established himself as Capello's first-choice having impressed in the opening weeks of the season after going to the World Cup only not to play.
"Joe Hart is my number one goalkeeper," Capello said. "He has improved a lot. He played last season with Birmingham. He was too young for South Africa but now we have changed some things. He is doing very well."
England's biggest challenge will be thwarting Bulgaria winger Martin Petrov, according to Capello, and the Bolton player is relishing the chance to play England while the team is still reeling from its World Cup setback.
"There is more (pressure) for England," Petrov said. "Everyone knows that England have big names and very good players but I don't think they have a team. I don't know why. If you take out each player and analyze them individually, they are very good players.
"They have a big manager, too, but they just don't do it. It is a difficult time for England now and maybe that will be good for us."
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