Roy Hodgson has seen his preparations for the Berne rematch against England’s Euro 2012 conquerors hit by a raft of late withdrawals, the latest being Arsenal winger Theo Walcott.

The Emirates Stadium flyer has a thigh injury and joins team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joe Hart and Daniel Sturridge on the sidelines.

At 23, Walcott was one of the older heads in a new-look and youthful England squad and confirmation of his withdrawal further blunts the Three Lions as an attacking proposition.

Hodgson’s pragmatic approach, underpinned by a more sobering level of expectations, won him some new friends in Poland and Ukraine, although his safety-first brand of football failed to inspire.

England did not lose a game in normal time this summer and scored in all three group games, but this does not paint the full picture.

The first genuine test came against the same opponents at the knockout stages and England spent the best part of 120 minutes chasing shadows.

That said, Italy too intend to experiment and coach Cesare Prandelli is without a host of marquee players.

There will be no fewer than eight uncapped players in his squad, in part due to the club commitments of his Juventus and Napoli contingent, but the likes of Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani are included. The maverick Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will also miss out because of an eye infection.

Andy Carroll has a chance to prove he can be a mainstay No 9 in the Hodgson set-up and he is 7/1 joint favourite with Jermain Defoe in the first goalscorer market, although Ashley Young may appeal at 9/1 in the same market given that he has been given licence to roam.

The game is England’s only friendly before the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign starts in September.

England can be backed at 2/5 to emerge Group H winners and 20/1 to triumph in Brazil in two years’ time.

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Birmingham City), John Ruddy (Norwich City).

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Steven Caulker (Tottenham Hotspur), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Jake Livermore (Tottenham Hotspur), James Milner (Manchester City), Jack Rodwell (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Manchester United).

Forwards: Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur).

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England’s

However, this does leave England with a few positives, as probably for the first time since winning the World Cup 1966, the Three Lions aren’t being tipped for glory, with pundits instead being more cautious in their predictions, especially in regards to selection where there are still a number of spots in the side to fill.

Most notable of these is at the back where, following the injury to Gary Cahill on Saturday, it remains in the balance who will partner John Terry during the opening match against France next Monday (France 6/4, draw 11/5, England 7/4).

The obvious choice would be Joleon Lescott who was magnificent in Manchester City’s march to the title this season. However, the 29-year-old is left footed, meaning Terry would have to slide across from his favoured left centre-back position into the right side of the defence.

This appears trivial but Terry has been caught out on a number of occasions while playing on the right side of the two, most notably in the Three Lions’ defeat to Germany at the 2010 World Cup.

With Terry being arguably the country’s best defender, this could pave the way for Phil Jagielka to step into the breach and the Everton man’s versatility and pace would certainly suit playing alongside Terry.

Elsewhere the full-backs and the two central midfielders pick themselves but, further up the field, Hodgson still faces a number of dilemmas.

After James Milner and Stewart Downing produced decidedly average performances in last week’s win against Norway, Saturday presented Arsenal duo Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with the perfect opportunity to stake their claim for a place in the starting side, but they both disappointed, meaning it’s still up in the air as to who will start out wide in Donetsk.

However, the most pressing issue is who will lead the line alongside Ashley Young as that could dictate how England play.

With Wayne Rooney out for the first two games, there is still a huge question-mark over who will start in attack with both Andy Carroll (40/1 Euro 2012 top goalscorer) and Danny Welbeck impressing in the warm-up games.

The pair have contrasting but equally devastating qualities with Carroll’s height allowing him to intimidate and dominate defenders in the air while Welbeck’s pace and movement allows him to slip in behind the opposition almost at will.

Both have done themselves no harm but the decision as to who to start with could make or break England’s campaign, especially if they’re still in with a chance of qualifying when Rooney returns for the final group game against Ukraine (England evens, draw 9/4, Ukraine 9/4).

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Saturday

It has not necessarily been the easiest of weeks for the England manager as he has had little time to prepare for Euro 2012 to start with, and has been forced to cope with the losses of John Ruddy, Gareth Barry and now Frank Lampard from his original squad.

Jack Butland, Phil Jagielka and Jordan Henderson are the beneficiaries of those injuries but the squad has obviously been weakened – and there will be those who are thinking Henderson would have done well to get into any other squad at the tournament, let alone the fourth favourites.

There is an underwhelming feeling for many punters going into the tournament regarding England, perhaps more of dread than anticipation, but at least the players will not be burdened by over-the-top expectations that usually accompany them in major tournaments – and which they usually fail to live up to.

Not many will be tempted by the 10/1 about England to lift their first European Championship title but things may look different following the weekend’s fixture.

Belgium obviously failed to get into the Poland and Ukraine showpiece but were given a tough assignment having been drawn in the same group as Germany and Turkey – and ultimately finished behind both, with a 1-1 home draw with the latter proving costly.

However, they are a nation that is seemingly on the up given the success of some of their stars in the Premier League and they could perhaps upset the odds on Saturday (England 8/13, draw 11/4, Belgium 5/1 – Match Betting).

Vincent Kompany has been an absolute rock at the heart of Manchester City’s defence as he led the Citizens to their first league title since 1968, while Thomas Vermaelen at Arsenal, Everton’s Marouane Fellaini and Fulham’s Moussa Dembele have also impressed this season in England’s top flight.

Perhaps more excitingly for spectators is a first glimpse of wonderkid Eden Hazard who, after a number of impressive seasons in France, is seemingly set to move to Chelsea at some point in the summer, having also been courted by Manchester United and Manchester City.

The 21-year-old finished off the season at Lille with a hat-trick and might well tempt those looking to invest in the First/Last Goalscorer markets at a price of 12/1, while he is 10/3 to score at anytime.

Romelu Lukaku (10/1 and 11/4) was not given much of a chance at Stamford Bridge this season but is very much one for the future and this appears to be a Belgium team that is definitely improving.

As it is a friendly it would be prudent to wait until team news is announced closer to kick off to get a better idea of the chances of either side but Belgium should be more relaxed as they have nothing else to worry about.

England’s midfield appears to be a problem following the withdrawals of Lampard and Barry, as Scott Parker has also been struggling with an injury and may well be rested on Saturday to keep him as fit as possible for the real business.

That means Henderson could well get a start in midfield or Hodgson could re-employ Phil Jones but it looks to be an area where England may struggle.

No doubt Hodgson will try and involve as many players as possible given that it is the final time he will see any in meaningful action, while it is also only his second game in charge.

The former West Brom boss at least got off to a winning if unspectacular start and he will be hoping for more of the same to give the squad a boost going into the France game on June 11.

He will try to make his side hard to beat rather than an offensive powerhouse but who can blame him – you cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

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Roy Hodgson

For the opening half hour of the match, England dominated their Scandinavian opponents, stringing a number of impressive moves together. They were justifiably rewarded when Ashley Young scored the only goal of the game after just nine minutes.

Furthermore, the troublesome midfield area seemed to be working itself out, with Scott Parker providing enough protection for the defence to allow skipper Steven Gerrard to produce his trademark surging runs. This provided a number of opportunities for both Young and strike partner Andy Carroll.

However, the performance certainly tailed off in the second half when the players looked fatigued and Egil Olsen’s side were unlucky not to grab what would have been a deserved equaliser.

England now have just one more warm-up game – against Belgium – before travelling to Eastern Europe for their first match of Euro 2012 against France on June 11th (France 6/4, draw 11/5, England 6/4 – Match Betting).

The game against the Belgians will certainly provide a fairer indication of where the team currently stands as a number of players who missed the game in Oslo are set to return to the fold. Furthermore, the players will be desperate to secure their place in the side to face Laurent Blanc’s men in Donetsk.

Despite the unconvincing nature of the win, there were plenty of positives to draw on from Saturday’s game, most notably the performance of Andy Carroll (50/1 – Euro 2012 top goalscorer), who once again proved his doubters wrong and now looks certain to lead the line in Wayne Rooney’s absence.

Furthermore, his combination play with Young certainly looks promising and combined with Gerrard’s new-found freedom in the midfield, could provide the X Factor that England (13/8 to win Group D) have missed in years gone by.

Despite these positives, there are still a few questions hanging over the squad, most notably in defence where Everton’s Phil Jagielka, who is currently on stand-by, performed admirably and was arguably England’s best player.

The former Sheffield United man has been one of the Premier League’s stand-out stoppers over the last few seasons and his display will only raise further questions over the positions of slower defenders such as Gary Cahill and the out-of-form John Terry.

With all these quandaries still surrounding the camp, the game against Belgium certainly takes on extra significance and with Roy Hodgson still to finalise his squad, don’t be surprised if he decides to leave yet more established stars at home.

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In fairness to Fabio Capello’s successor, he has had very little time to prepare for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine with his commitment to West Brom not officially over until last Sunday, and he had previously suggested he was largely going to stick with experienced England performers.

With that in mind, there were just two new faces in the squad but there are surely plenty of questions over why some of the players that are set to take their place on the plane next month have made it – with England’s campaign set to get underway on June 11 (England 13/8 to win Group D).

There are just two warm-up games before then for Hodgson, who also confirmed Steven Gerrard will be captain, to finalise his plans – so taking a look at the squad, let’s start with the supposed ‘big calls’.

Rio Ferdinand was probably the biggest absentee and perhaps it was no surprise, given his recent fitness history and the fact that even his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, had doubted whether he could play games in quick succession.

Still, he would have provided plenty of experience but every footballer has his lovers and haters, and there will be those who believe his best days are very much behind him.

However, John Terry has been included and there will be more doubters about him given his form, discipline issues, the fact that an impending trial forced the previous manager to step down as well as the fact that he has been there and definitely not done it – at the World Cup in 2010.

Barcelona actually looked less likely to score when he had been sent off, while his obvious inability to handle Andy Carroll in both the FA Cup final and subsequent 4-1 drubbing at Anfield led to Hodgson actually including the Liverpool striker – who had almost been a laughing stock in the previous nine months following his £35m move from Newcastle.

What makes the Carroll selection all the more surprising is the fact that he is one of only four strikers. With Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two group games, Jermain Defoe – who has not played a competitive match for England since September 2010 – and Danny Welbeck the others, Hodgson could end up being caught short up front.

Peter Crouch has never done anything wrong for England, in fact he has done a lot right with a fantastic goal ratio for the national side, while there is no place (not so surprising) for the second highest English scorer in the Premier League this season – Grant Holt.

Norwich City, though, can celebrate the call-up of John Ruddy, who has been rewarded for his fine season with the Canaries with his first international recognition.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also wins his first call-up for the impact, albeit limited, he has made for Arsenal this season but little can be said of the impact of Stewart Downing and Theo Walcott (of late), who did make the squad, when Aaron Lennon and Adam Johnson did not.

Kyle Walker has enjoyed a superb season for Spurs but is carrying an injury, although how the versatile Micah Richards has been overlooked is a mystery.

It is, of course, a ‘poisoned chalice’, the England manager’s job, because whoever is in charge is never going to please everyone all the time – in some manager’s cases, any of the time.

The proof is in the pudding, though, and Hodgson will have more idea of the capability of his squad following the first match of the tournament against France (France 13/8, Draw 11/5, England 11/8 Match Betting).

With games against Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine to follow, England will hope that the inclusion of Rooney will amount to more than one game with the Three Lions 6/4 to be eliminated at the Group Stage. Hodgson may already have his doubters but this squad should have enough to at least make it past the first stage. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.

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Roy Hodgson

Starting at the back and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart is the only man for the job between the sticks, while Robert Green and Scott Carson have been the only other back-ups due to the dearth of talent available and Ben Foster’s steadfast refusal to come out of retirement.

However, Norwich City’s John Ruddy has been in inspirational form this past season and we feel he deserves a chance ahead of Carson, who Hodgson allowed to leave the Hawthorns for a move to Turkey 12 months ago.

Hodgson’s first big job will be selecting the right men to shut out foreign opposition, starting with a huge game against France on June 11 (England 11/8, France 13/8, Draw 11/5 90 Minutes).

The first names on the squad list in previous years have been former skipper John Terry and Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, who have struck up a strong central defensive partnership for past managers and have over 150 caps between them.

But with the duo at odds over Terry’s upcoming summer trial for allegedly racially abusing the latter’s brother, Hodgson might feel an alternative selection will be the safer option.

If he goes with Terry, who is younger and is arguably more reliable in terms of fitness than Ferdinand, then the obvious choice of partner would be his Chelsea team-mate Gary Cahill.

The duo have played well together in the heart of the Blues’ defence and Cahill has already shown he has the capabilities to be a success against top opposition after helping shut-out Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge last month.

If Hodgson feels Terry’s involvement could divide the squad, then Ferdinand could be the man he pins his hopes on for the finals.

With his Manchester United team-mate Chris Smalling ruled out due to injury, Hodgson could see Manchester City stopper Joleon Lescott as the man who would be ideally suited to Ferdinand.

The duo would complement each other well being a right-foot and left-foot combination and that could work well in the finals.

We expect Ferdinand’s United team-mate Phil Jones to be involved given the youngster’s impressive first season at Old Trafford and his ability to operate at right-back, centre-back or in a defensive midfield role.

However, Jones is more likely to watch from the sidelines as Tottenham’s Kyle Walker is the man to get the nod at right-back with Liverpool’s more experienced Glen Johnson breathing down his neck.

But the fact Johnson has been moved to a left-back role by Reds boss Kenny Dalglish means PFA Young Player of the Year, Walker, has been the best player in that position over the past season and deserves his chance.

Hodgson’s other problem centres on which strikers he will take to the finals given that his options have been depleted due to injury and suspension.

He has already intimated that Wayne Rooney (40/1 Top Goalscorer) will travel despite being banned for the opening two matches against France and Sweden.

Darren Bent is adamant that he will be fit despite being ruled out of Aston Villa’s season with ruptured ankle ligaments since February.

However, we feels it would be too risky to take the forward as a lack of match fitness will work against him when England need their players firing on all cylinders.

Therefore Danny Welbeck is the man who Hodgson will almost certainly give the nod to given the fact he has played the majority of the season alongside Rooney at United which will work in his favour when looking towards the knockout stage (England 13/8 Group D Winner).

Another alternative to Bent would be Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe, who has struggled for game time under Harry Redknapp this season, but always manages to get goals whenever he is pitched into the Three Lions’ team.

Chelsea’s Darren Sturridge is another possibility, but he seemed to drift off the radar in the closing months of the campaign and might well miss the boat.

The fourth striker berth will be a straight fight between three target men – Liverpool’s Andy Carroll, Stoke’s Peter Crouch and Norwich City hitman Grant Holt.

Holt’s 17 goals for the Canaries this past season have led to calls for his inclusion, while Crouch has a fantastic scoring record for England and his presence terrifies continental defenders which is why he would have been a definite selection.

However, £35million hitman Carroll has forced his way to the front of the queue having finished the season strongly, in particular with his recent goalscoring substitute performance in the FA Cup final.

The former Newcastle man has struggled since making the move to Anfield in January 2011, but the signs are he is rediscovering his best form again and that could be timed to perfection for England.

A wildcard pick would be to take Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the finals.

He is an unknown quantity to opposition managers and players and could have a big impact in the finals akin to Paul Gascoigne in the 1990 World Cup and Rooney in Euro 2004.

Although Hodgson could be put off by the fact Theo Walcott was surprisingly taken to the 2006 World Cup by Sven Goran-Eriksson but then did not play a single minute with many feeling he wasted a squad place.

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Roy Hodgson

Now Hodgson’s Liverpool (13/2 to win the Europa League) are in the knockout stages of the same competition and are looking to go that step further and lift the trophy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on May 18.

The Reds finished top of Group K to qualify for the later stages and Hodgson has avoided the temptation of over-playing his key men in the competition.

Captain Steven Gerrard, who has now returned to action after suffering a hamstring injury over a month ago whilst playing for England, scored four goals in the group stages.

Star striker Fernando Torres has only featured twice in the Europa League and is bound to play a bigger role the further the Merseyside club go in the competition.

Considering their inconsistent form in the Premier League it’s difficult to know which Reds team will turn up for their next European clash – against Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic on February 24.

However, with Hodgson’s experience in the competition, Liverpool could repeat the feat of winning the second biggest prize in European football as they did in 2001.

Premier League big spenders Manchester City (4/1 to win the Europa League) are currently the favourites to lift the trophy in Dublin.

Roberto Mancini’s men sit in second place in the top flight and have transferred that form into the Europa League as they too finished top of their group.

The Blues look like they have managed to keep hold of their key player Carlos Tevez and like Torres for Liverpool, he should be more of a presence as City take on Greek side Aris Salonika.

City should progress to the latter stages of the competition if you consider the strength in depth of the star-studded squad at Eastlands.

A threat to their hopes of winning the Europa League could be if the Blues stay in the hunt for the Premier League title and Mancini is forced to rest players in the European games.

However it’s doubtful City fans would have too many problems with that scenario.

The British team with by far the hardest draw in the knockout stages are SPL title holders Rangers (5/4 to qualify for next round) as they face Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.

They too will be looking to go a step further from 2008 when they lost in the Europa League final against Russian side Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester.

The Gers qualified for the knockout stages after they finished third in their tough Champions League group which included Manchester United and Valencia.

With Walter Smith#s team challenging at the top of the SPL table with Old Firm rivals Celtic, it might be too difficult for the Scottish side to battle on both fronts.

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Liverpool

The Reds currently lead Group K (1/16 Group Winner) by three points from Thursday’s opponents following two wins and two draws with just two matches remaining and Hodgson feels it will be a worthwhile exercise to give some youngsters such as Danny Wilson, Daniel Pacheco and Nathan Eccleston a chance to shine in Romania and hand some key men a rest.

“I have faith in the young players and whatever happens on Thursday night I won’t lose faith in them,” said Hodgson.

“But it’s an opportunity for them to force their way into my attention even more.”

As for experience Joe Cole (11/4 Anytime Goal scorer) could be back in the fold after travelling for the game following his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger are all unavailable through injury, while Hodgson has confirmed that Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt, Raul Meireles, Glen Johnson and Paul Konchesky will also stay at home to prepare for the Premier League game against Aston Villa (Liverpool 4/7, Villa 5/1, 13/5 the draw).

In the other game in Group K winless duo, Italian outfit Napoli and Dutch side Utrecht, will meet in the Netherlands with both knowing they must win to have any chance of pipping either Liverpool or Steaua Bucharest to a qualification place and I expect the Italians to do a job on away soil at 11/8.

Thursday’s other crunch games in the Europa League sees Spanish La Liga outfit Villarreal look good to defeat Group D leaders Dinamo Zagreb (4/11 Villarreal To Win) as one point separates the top three sides in a close battle for the knockout stages with two games remaining.

In a Spain versus France battle, Group J leaders Sevilla travel to face Paris Saint Germain in a game that could determine who will top the table ahead of the knockout stage draw.

A win for Sevilla would seal the group leadership, while PSG require three points to take it to the final match, but I feel a draw will be the likely outcome at 23/10.

Italian outfit Palermo must defeat Sparta Prague to keep alive their qualification hopes from Group F and (at 7/10 To Win) I am backing them to see off the Czech Republic side on home soil.

A big game also beckons in Group L as Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia can move to within a point of second-placed Besiktas if they come out on top their encounter on home soil – and (at 2/1 To Win) they look good for some delight against their Turkish opponents.

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Roy Hodgson

The Reds have suffered their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign and currently sit in 18th place in the table with just nine points from their first nine games played.

The boardroom battle for ownership of the club has hardly helped matters but, with John Henry now in charge, the financial side of affairs at Anfield appear to be sorting themselves out (Liverpool 11/1 to win Europa League).

The low point came in the 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat to Everton, which left Liverpool staring up at all but two teams in the top-flight table, while last Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers gave the club a boost and ensured that they are now only in the relegation zone on goal difference.

Such is the current state of the standings that one win from a team in the lower reaches could propel them into the top half and Hodgson’s men will have a chance at moving in the right direction when they face Owen Coyle’s side at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The former Fulham tactician admits that the early part of the campaign has been one to forget but believes that it is how the players react to adversity that will ultimately determine if they come out of the season with any credit.

“It is quite easy to kick people when they are down,” he said. “We are down at the moment so the kicks are going to rain down on us. We just have to deal with it.

“The first quarter of the season has not been a good one for us in terms of league form. The next three quarters is going to be very important.

“At the moment we are still in a poor position as far as our league position is concerned. We need to get a result in every game to get out of it.”

The 63-year-old is determined not to get carried away with things, after the successful takeover and the Blackburn victory, but he is confident that there is enough quality in his squad to improve their league position over the next couple of months.

“I am a bit wary of saying the problems are over, we have turned the corner, but I believe in the team and I believe we are capable of doing a lot better in the next quarter of the season than we have in the first quarter,” he added.

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Liverpool

The Spain international World Cup-winning hitman has endured a difficult campaign to date due to a lack of form following some injury problems which have blighted him since he underwent a knee operation in April.

However, Hodgson witnessed Torres put in a good shift against Rovers at Anfield and felt he looked a lot sharper, while his second goal of the season only heightened his belief that the former Atletico Madrid man could be set to hit top form.

Hodgson insists that Torres has always had the desire and will to do well for him since he replaced Rafa Benitez at Anfield in the summer, but claims the extra confidence the team are starting to show on the pitch is now having a positive impact on his game.

He added on LFC TV: “You do need, if you are going to have a good team, your good players in good form producing what they are capable of producing.

“With Fernando on Sunday we definitely saw that.

“I see it in training every day and I just hope he keeps going and we have a good few months of it.”

Torres will get a chance to add to his goals’ tally this weekend when the Reds travel to face Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday (Bolton 2/1, Liverpool 13/10, Draw 11/5 90 Minutes).

And Hodgson is looking for his side as a whole to secure a third Premier League win of the season and start pushing up the table (Liverpool 7/1 Top 4 Finish).

“The performance we gave in the second half against Everton and the whole of the game against Blackburn – that is what we need for the whole 90 minutes in the remaining 29 games.”

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