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International Friendlies

Jun 2, 2013 at 8pm UK

Brazil
2-2
England

Fred, Paulinho

Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rooney

Roy Hodgson: 'Small squad not ideal'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 01 June 2013

England manager Roy Hodgson admits that he would have liked to have had a bigger squad of players to choose from for tomorrow's match against Brazil.

England manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that he would have liked more players available to him for his side's friendly against Brazil tomorrow.

Hodgson's squad has been hit by a string of injuries to the likes of Andy Carroll, Tom Cleverley and Kyle Walker, while striker Daniel Sturridge was also forced to withdraw after picking up an injury against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday.

Danny Welbeck is the latest player to be ruled out of tomorrow's match at the refurbished Maracana Stadium, leaving Hodgson with limited options.

"We wouldn't have minded one or two more but we're only allowed to make six substitutions so we'll have the requisite number of players on the bench to do that," said Hodgson.

"It does mean more players are going to have to take part in the game and maybe it will be a little bit harder for some of those starting as they may have to stay on for a bit longer than they might otherwise have done. Our possibilities for change are not that numerous to be perfectly honest.

"In defence we have Joleon Lescott and Leighton Baines who didn't start the other night, in midfield we have young Jack Rodwell who stepped in at the last minute and we've also got Jermain Defoe and James Milner. We are limited in that respect but it's good in the respect that we want players to play for longer periods rather than making substitutions every two minutes."

England's match against Brazil had come under threat due to safety concerns over the Maracana, but it will now go ahead as scheduled.