Hodgson and Kelly could share debuts
LIVERPOOL youngster Martin Kelly is in contention for a surprise England debut in tomorrow’s friendly against Norway, as manager Roy Hodgson contends with a defensive crisis ahead of his first match in charge.
Kelly, who only joined the squad temporarily this week after Manchester City’s Micah Richards refused to be on the stand-by list for next month’s European Championship, could start in Oslo if Glen Johnson is ruled out.
Johnson pulled out of training yesterday, having missed Wednesday’s session, as he is suffering from a toe infection. The problem is described as minor but, with Chelsea players still absent and the versatile Phil Jones likely to start in central defence, there is a shortage of cover at right-back, meaning Kelly, who is not part of the main 23-man Euro 2012 party, could win a first cap.
Striker Danny Welbeck also looks set to miss out tomorrow, as he recovers from an ankle injury, leaving only Andy Carroll and Jermain Defoe as forward options, although midfielder Scott Parker’s participation yesterday eased fears over his recent Achilles problem.
Hodgson has indicated he plans to experiment in his two matches before Euro 2012, with Belgium set to visit Wembley on 2 June.
“We’ve got two games, which is good because the squad is quite big. Sometimes when you get to a tournament and you pick your first team, if that team does well some of the squad players don’t always get as much of a look-in as they would like,” he said.
“These two matches give me the chance to air more players than perhaps one would otherwise be able to, and also a chance for me, so new in the job and having had such short preparation time, to get to know the players better and see what they are capable of.”