Roy Hodgson set to name England squad ahead of Euro 2016 warm-up friendlies
Monday 16 May 2016 11:12, UK
Roy Hodgson will name his England squad for the friendlies ahead of Euro 2016 at around 11am on Monday from Wembley Stadium.
Hodgson decided to delay announcing his latest pool of players until the final round of Premier League fixtures had been played.
Nine of those games were played, but Manchester United's final game of the season against Bournemouth on Sunday had to be abandoned because of a suspect package that was dealt with by a controlled explosion.
United and Bournemouth will now meet on Tuesday night at Old Trafford, potentially giving Hodgson a headache should any of his selections be hurt.
He will reveal a squad ahead of upcoming friendlies against Turkey, Australia and Portugal before the tournament. A final squad of 23 players has to be named by May 31.
Hodgson's plans may have been altered in recent weeks with the news that Danny Welbeck has been ruled out for nine months after undergoing surgery on his right knee, while his Arsenal team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will also miss the finals.
Another Gunners midfielder may enjoy more luck, however, with Jack Wilshere having made a return from injury in recent weeks, including playing 70 minutes against Manchester City in the 2-2 draw at the Etihad last Sunday and just a minute less in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa.
Hodgson was an interested spectator at the Emirates on Sunday but was denied the chance to see Theo Walcott in action as the forward missed out with a hamstring niggle.
He will have also been buoyed by Jordan Henderson's return to action for Liverpool in their 1-1 draw with West Brom, the midfielder ending an absence with a knee injury by coming on as a second-half substitute.
Arsene Wenger believes Hodgson should pick both the 24-year-old, who has missed the majority of this campaign after suffering a leg fracture during pre-season, and Walcott ahead of England's Group B matches against Russia, Wales and Slovakia.
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford will be invited to train with the senior squad before the upcoming friendlies for experience but will not be included in the squad going to France, according to Sky sources.
However, Jermain Defoe is eyeing a place in the squad after playing a pivotal role in keeping Sunderland in the Premier League with 15 goals this season, making him the third-most prolific English striker behind Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy, who are certain to be picked.
England get their Euro 2016 campaign underway against Russia on June 11 in Marseille and Hodgson has just over two weeks to make his squad official.
