England boss Fabio Capello says he will name Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster in his squad.

Foster has been almost permanently injured since Capello replaced Steve McClaren 15 months ago.

Indeed, his bad luck goes back further than that, with just one England cap in in a career that has promised much but, until a man-of-the-match performance in Manchester United's Carling Cup Final win over Tottenham, delivered very little.

Capello had already heard plenty about Foster. But being at Wembley to get a first-hand view of the Red Devils keeper allowed the the England boss to get confirmation.

And while a visit to Fulham a fortnight ago went unrewarded once Sir Alex Ferguson surprisingly decided to pick Edwin van der Sar against his former club, Capello intends to stick with his gut instinct.

"I will pick Foster," said the England boss.

"A lot of people have told me he is a very good goalkeeper but he has always been injured.

"I watched him on TV and then he played in the Carling Cup Final and I saw him there.

"He surprised me with his confidence. I went to Fulham hoping to see him in the FA Cup tie but Sir Alex pulled him out.

"I will check him again during the week in training and then decide if he is going to play."

As Capello has pledged to make his maximum number of six substitutions in the friendly against Slovakia in order to ensure his team are fresh and raring to go for the crucial World Cup qualifier against the Ukraine on April 1, there must be a reasonable chance Foster will add to the single cap he won under McClaren in a friendly defeat by Spain at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old will replace Joe Hart in the squad, the Manchester City youngster recently ousted from first-team duties by the arrival of Shay Given at Eastlands.

"It is different for goalkeepers," admitted Capello, when pressed on Foster's clear status as Old Trafford understudy to Van der Sar.

"I want to get to know him and this is the first time he has been fit."