England boss to run rule over Ferdinand’s fitness regime

Roy Hodgson intends to hold further talks with Alex Ferguson to discuss the intricacies of Rio Ferdinand’s fitness regime before determining whether the veteran Manchester United centre-half still has a future in the England team.

The national side’s preparations for the double-header against San Marino and Montenegro were disrupted by Ferdinand’s withdrawal from the squad. The 34-year-old cited his “pre-planned fitness programme” aimed at combatting a long-standing back problem. His subsequent decision to fly to Doha to work at the Aspire academy and then as a pundit for al-Jazeera on the San Marino fixture enraged England supporters who, in his absence, aimed abuse at a player capped 81 times. Ferdinand had spoken face-to-face with Hodgson on the eve of the squad’s arrival at St George’s Park last week with the player insistent he still wished to be considered for future selection.

Appeared exasperated
The England manager also lost Michael Dawson and Gary Cahill from his first-choice party but, speaking after Tuesday's 1-1 draw in Podgorica, appeared exasperated by the issue, even if he did admit further talks with United would follow.

“First of all, I would say the two centre-backs did very well,” he said. “[Chris] Smalling was excellent and Joleon Lescott did a very good job as well . . . So, therefore, there’s no interest for me discussing someone who is not here and, furthermore, if [Ferdinand] is going to play in future games there will have to be further discussions, not least of all in relation to his fitness programme and his club. I have absolutely nothing to add from when it first came up and, certainly today, I think it would be extremely unfair to suggest it was the performance of Smalling and Lescott which has culminated in us drawing the game rather than winning the game.”

The England manager has privately acknowledged he was wrong to omit Lescott from his original 26-man squad on the basis that he has played so little football for Manchester City. Indeed, the defender – a mainstay of City’s Premier League title success last term and an ever-present at last summer’s European Championships – has played only 17 minutes fewer than Smalling at club level since the turn of the year, even if he has featured for only two minutes in the Premier League for City in the past six weeks.

Remain in contention
That mistake will not be repeated, even if Lescott has conceded he must address his future at club level to remain in proper contention for England selection. Smalling, too, is not yet considered first-choice at Manchester United but has now impressed in England's last three internationals.
Guardian Service