Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is set to captain England against the Republic of Ireland.

The Mail on Sunday says Lampard will captain England against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil this week with Ashley Cole expected to turn down the opportunity.

In Steven Gerrard's absence, Lampard will step up as captain, with Wayne Rooney next in line if Lampard fails to recover from a minor injury.

Cole was fined £90,000 by the FA for a tweet he wrote in October labeling the governing body a 'bunch of t***s'.