LONDON – England has dropped David Beckham from the squad to face Germany in next Wednesday's friendly in Berlin because he's not playing competitive football and recalled Darren Bent for his goals in Tottenham's revival.

Head coach Fabio Capello has also again left out Michael Owen even though Wayne Rooney was ruled out with a calf injury. But the Italian has called up players from the under-21 squad.

Beckham has been a late substitute in all four of England's World Cup qualifying victories, which have put the team in a strong position to make it to the 2010 championship in South Africa. But Capello said the former captain will not play against the Germans because the Los Angeles Galaxy's season is over in Major League Soccer and Beckham is idle until he joins AC Milan on loan in January.

“He is not in the squad. If you play, you can be in the squad. He last played three weeks ago,” said Capello, who would have selected Beckham if the Galaxy had made the MLS playoffs. “If he had played in the playoffs, it would have been OK for me. It's my system for my job. If you play, you will be in the squad. He is a good player. He will play for AC Milan. We have time to check him.”

There is little surprise that, with Wigan striker Emile Heskey injured, Capello has recalled Bent, whose seven goals for Spurs have lifted his club away from last place in the Premier League.

“He's scored a lot of goals,” Capello said. “Because we don't have Heskey. We need players like (Peter) Crouch and Bent. He's young and he's at the top of his form. He's fast and with good movement without the ball. It's important for Bent that Tottenham has won a lot of games.”

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who missed his team's 5-0 victory over Stoke with a back injury, is also ruled out of Wednesday's game. Capello already knew that Chelsea's Joe Cole and Ashley Cole were already unavailable. Chelsea captain John Terry injured his foot in Saturday's 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion and was to undergo tests Sunday to determine whether he can play against Germany.

Capello said he would like to use the game to experiment with some of the players from the under-21 squad and that means a place for Chelsea's 20-year-old defender Michael Mancienne, currently on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is also in the squad.

Goalkeepers: David James (Portsmouth), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion).

Defenders: Joleon Lescott (Everton), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Curtis Davies (Aston Villa), Michael Mancienne (Wolverhampton Wanderers, on loan from Chelsea), Micah Richards (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Theo Walcott (Arsenal).

Strikers: Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Darren Bent (Tottenham).