Franco Baldini is set to leave Fabio Capello's England backroom team.

The Mirror says Capello is staying on as England's boss for the Euro 2012 campaign - but his No.2 Baldini is heading back to Italy.

Baldini has been Capello's sidekick since he arrived but now he has told friends that he is ready to take up a new post in his homeland where his reputation is high and director of football offers are in the pipeline.

The move would be for personal reasons as Baldini just yearns for more active club involvement after his spell checking on players and opponents for his mate.

Baldini's departure would give the FA the chance to bring in a new right-hand man for Capello and they would prefer that to be an Englishman who can be groomed as successor in 2012.

One top FA insider said: "There is a shortage of candidates for the job just now but it won't get any better in two years' time when the likes of Roy Hodgson and Harry Redknapp will be even older.

"The best plan may be to bring in someone to learn the ropes and take over. We might have to develop our own man for the post."