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European captain Colin Montgomerie wants and expects everybody still fighting for a Ryder Cup place to be in Scotland rather than America in the last week of qualifying.

Two years ago Ian Poulter caused a furore when he stayed in the States when he still could have got into the side on points by playing at Gleneagles in the Johnnie Walker Championship.

Nick Faldo stuck to his guns by picking Poulter, but whether Montgomerie - one of those who spoke out about the Englishman’s absence - hands anyone a wildcard in the same scenario now remains to be seen.

“I want to see them showing support for European golf and the European Tour and I will be very, very surprised if they are not there,” said the Scot on the eve of the Wales Open, over the same Celtic Manor course where October’s match takes place.

“That would make a whole lot of sense to a whole lot of people. I am convinced that I will have around eight candidates for three spots.

“You can count on those eight playing at Gleneagles. They will be there.”

It is not just any event in the States the same week, however.

It is the first of the four FedEx Cup play-off series events - a series that offers a 10million reward - and among those likely to have qualified are Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Brian Davis.

Poulter and McIlroy have just about done enough to make it into the side on points already - as has Lee Westwood, who is not a US Tour member - and so will avoid Montgomerie’s wrath by being there, but the others need a strong summer to avoid the cup race coming down to the last few weeks or week.

Garcia, an ever-present in the side since he became the youngest-ever cup player at the age of 19 in 1999, told Press Association Sport last week: “The Ryder Cup is important, but you can’t change your whole schedule for it.”

Donald, meanwhile, commented: “That will be a tough call, whether I can afford to miss a play-off event. I’ll have to take it as it comes.”

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Europe skipper Colin Montgomerie will wait until much later in the year to name his Ryder Cup vice-captains.

“There will be nothing announced … until at least after the British Open (in July)… because I want to give everybody an opportunity to qualify for the team,” Montgomerie said after carding a one-under 71 in the Dubai Classic first round.

Corey Pavin, skipper of the US holders, appointed Tom Lehman, Paul Goydos, Jeff Sluman and Davis Love III as his deputies on Wednesday.

The Ryder Cup will be held at Celtic Manor in Wales in October.

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Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie is excited by the prospect of leading Europe’s strongest ever line-up at Celtic Manor later this year.

With four-time winner and European number one Lee Westwood heading the list of established names and Rory McIlroy topping an exciting group of potential rookies, Montgomerie is delighted with the way his team is developing ahead of October’s highly anticipated showdown.

Europeans currently occupy seven places inside the world’s top 11, while untested German world number six Martin Kaymer and 2006 winner Robert Karlsson have already won this season.

“It is and will be the strongest collection of players ever assembled. We have never had so many high-ranked players in the world,” said Montgomerie.

“And they are improving. Martin Kaymer is getting better, Robert Karlsson is coming back, Paul Casey is coming back, Padraig Harrington is still improving, Westwood is still improving.

“They are all getting better, which is so exciting and the ones coming through are also working hard and becoming great.

“No captain has had so much potential as myself.

“Last year was more admin behind the scenes, now we are looking at the players in the team and how it is going to formulate, it is fantastic to see it taking shape.”

Paul Casey showed glimpses he had recovered from his long-standing rib problem in Qatar last week, while Kaymer reassured Montgomerie he was fully fit following last year’s go-kart crash - a point be underlined with last month’s win in Abu Dhabi.

World number nine McIlroy and Kaymer are virtual certainties for debuts this year, while Ross Fisher, Alvaro Quiros - who has matured in the eyes of Montgomerie - Ross McGowan and World Cup-winning Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari are also making strong cases for inclusion.

“They will be rookies, but they have already played in the WGC events and the majors. To call them rookies is almost unfair,” added five-time Ryder Cup winner Montgomerie.

“In my day we hadn’t even played in America before we went over to play in the Ryder Cup. I hadn’t played an American major when I was playing in my first Ryder Cup in 1991; my first American major was 1992.

“There is a necessity to get the dynamic and blend between youth and experience right, but not as much a necessity as it used to be.”

Montgomerie will have three captain’s picks at his disposal to complete the 12-man line-up, one more than was available to predecessor Nick Faldo ahead of the defeat at Valhalla in 2008.

“I don’t want to waste my picks on players that should have made it,” said Montgomerie.

“I want to pick players who I think will benefit the team, other than having to pick players who haven’t played to their potential during the year.”

Montgomerie was speaking after Emirates were confirmed as the official airline of the 2010 Ryder Cup and an official partner for the 2012 trip to Medinah Country Club in Illinois.

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Colin Montgomerie could play Rory McIlroy in the opening match for Europe at next year’s Ryder Cup against the United States.

The 20-year-old has impressed in opening matches of sessions at the Vivendi Cup, and Montgomerie is considering a repeat at Celtic Manor.

“In the two games he’s gone first he’s won and the one he was in third place he lost,” the European captain said.

“Rory is an outstanding talent - our brightest star in Europe right now.”

Montgomerie added of the Northern Ireland golfer: “The player has to be comfortable and my whole team will be comfortable in the positions they are in, believe me.

“They will all have a role to play and I will give them the opportunity to say ‘no’.

“It looks likely that he seems to enjoy going out in that position - but a year is a long time.”

As a result of this week Montgomerie has decided he needs “a minimum” of four assistants at Celtic Manor.

In contrast, Nick Faldo’s had only one, officially, Jose Maria Olazabal, in Louisville last year.

And the Scot admitted: “It’s very difficult to watch golf on the course, so I’ve already put that to the Tour and they have accepted that.

“I need someone with every game at least and then I can oversee them. I cannot be in three places at one time - I can manage two, but not three!”

Vivendi Trophy captains Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn are expected to be involved - assuming they do not qualify for that team.

Olazabal is another possibility if he is prepared to do the job again before his expected elevation to the top job.

“Paul has taken to this like a wish to water - incredible,” Montgomerie explained.

“Thomas I’ve known about any way, his passion for the competition.”

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