England midfielder Gareth Barry will return from a six-week injury layoff and play against Algeria on Friday in the team's second World Cup match, coach Fabio Capello said Wednesday.

The 29-year-old central midfielder has been sidelined since May 5 when he damaged ligaments in his right ankle while playing for Manchester City.

"I know my team - Barry will play, he is back, he is OK," Capello told British broadcaster ITV on Wednesday.

"There is no problem," Capello added on the BBC. "He has trained very well and he is fit."

England was held to 1-1 draw by the United States in the Group C opener when Capello didn't deploy the recovering Barry from the bench in Rustenburg.

There were lingering doubts about Barry's fitness before the tournament, but Capello showed how highly he values the midfielder by bringing him to South Africa anyway.

"He can sit in the hole for us, is good in possession and gives us another option," England striker Wayne Rooney said.

Returning Barry to the holding role which worked so successfully in World Cup qualifying would free up Steven Gerrard to take a more attacking spot on the left flank and split the captain's ineffective midfield partnership with Frank Lampard. James Milner, who was on the left on Saturday will drop to the bench, with Aaron Lennon expected to remain on the right.

"(Barry) showed in qualifying how good he is," England defender Jamie Carragher added. "We've not got too many like that so he's obviously done a good job for England."

Capello is still undecided about two other positions ahead of the Algeria match in Cape Town.

Goalkeeper Robert Green's place is under threat after his blunder on Saturday which gifted the Americans an equaliser by allowing Clint Dempsey's long-range shot to slip through his hands.

"He made a mistake - a big mistake," Capello said. "In the second half he played well because he made a good save, but I have to decide.

"It's a problem of the mind, you remember always the mistake. You have to chose the best keeper mentally at this moment."

Capello can either opt for experience with the 39-year-old David James, who has played 50 times for England including at the 2004 European Championship. Or the Italian could select the 23-year-old Joe Hart, who has little international pedigree but impressed at Birmingham last season - helping the Premier League club go on a 15-game unbeaten run.

Capello is also contemplating dropping Emile Heskey as Wayne Rooney's striker partner, with Jermain Defoe the potential replacement for the Aston Villa striker, who hasn't scored for England since last June.

"Heskey or Defoe," Capello summed up that dilemma.

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