England began the post-Fabio Capello era on Tuesday, nearly eight months before the Italian actually leaves.

While Capello plots a Euro 2012 campaign that will bring an end to his time in charge, it will be left to other senior FA figures to try to thrash out a route to the 2014 World Cup.

Club England managing director Adrian Bevington will head an FA delegation also including director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking for a meeting in Warsaw with their counterparts from Poland, Ukraine, Montenegro, Moldova and San Marino.

Their task will be straightforward.

Knowing England's players tend to tire after a long season, June qualifying matches will preferably be avoided, and if that is not possible then no long trips - such as the one that took them to Kazakhstan in 2009 - would be ideal.

Key matches against second seeds Ukraine and Montenegro - who England twice drew with in Euro 2012 qualifying - will be pencilled in for September or October, when England tend to be at their best.

However, there are other competing interests, such as a desire to play England early to maximise commercial revenues or to play in the summer when the heat may benefit certain teams, which may mean there is no resolution, as was the case when England tried to put their Euro 2012 programme together.

If that happens again, the matter will be decided in a random draw by FIFA at a later date.

The outcome may only be of passing interest just now, but with only one automatic place for Brazil on offer, the man who eventually replaces Capello - FA chairman David Bernstein insists talks will not start until the Italian's work is done in Poland and Ukraine next summer - will have reason to hope Bevington and Brooking get their way.