Hodgson expects more withdrawals

Dejan Kalinic

Hodgson expects more withdrawals image

Raheem Sterling appears set to withdraw from the England squad following Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania after manager Roy Hodgson admitted he was likely to lose more players.

Sterling's Liverpool team-mates Daniel Sturridge (hip) and Adam Lallana (groin) were both ruled out of the squad after being selected.

The 20-year-old Sterling is battling a toe injury, but appears certain to face Lithuania in the Group E clash on Friday.

But he is unlikely to meet Italy in a friendly on Tuesday, with Hodgson saying on Tuesday he expected withdrawals following the qualifier.

"I fear we're going to lose a few more," Hodgson told talkSPORT.

"I mean there's one or two that I know won't be able to join us against Italy because of the current problems that they're dealing with at the moment."

Meanwhile, during training on Tuesday, Hodgson was photographed holding a piece of paper with the names of Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane circled up front.

Asked about the paper, Hodgson slammed the photographers for spying – although it appears in-form Tottenham striker Kane is certain to earn his maiden international cap at some point against Lithuania.

"It's dangerous to do that," he said.

"It's dangerous to spy on those types of things at a training session. That piece of paper is something we take out with us to training because we have to select teams.

"I don’t think it's right to suggest that, in order to avoid this type of espionage, I have to remember everything that I have thought about.

"We change players around quite often, so if that's what people want to read into the espionage, that's up to them.

"I just hope they don't all come and blame me if I don't start with Kane and Rooney, just because they saw it on my piece of paper, because they shouldn't have been looking at it in the first place."

Dejan Kalinic