England

Roy Hodgson: 'I will only pick fit players for England'

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 08 November 2015

England manager Roy Hodgson admits that he will only pick players who have proved their fitness for Euro 2016, potentially ruling out Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck.

England manager Roy Hodgson has claimed that he will only pick players who have proved their fitness for the Euro 2016 squad, but is willing to give Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck a chance to get back in the team.

Liverpool striker Sturridge missed the entirety of the Three Lions' Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with thigh and knee injuries, while Arsenal forward Welbeck has been out since April with a knee injury.

Hodgson told a press conference: "I would rather have 23 players who are all fit and ready to go. I wouldn't be happy to really take players with us in the hope that they will become fit during the tournament.

"[Sturridge and Welbeck] must be devastated to have lost so much football, but who knows what it's going to bring? We hope they're going to be back.

"[But] are we going to take a player to the tournament who's virtually not played any football, but because he's a talented player might just become, in some miraculous way, capable of playing football? It's unlikely."

England will contest friendlies against Spain and France on November 13 and 17.