England manager Roy Hodgson has officially ruled striker Danny Welbeck out of Sunday’s friendly with Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium.
The Three Lions have a number of absentees heading into the game, including Andy Carroll, Daniel Sturridge, Tom Cleverley and Kyle Walker, while Jermain Defoe took part in training after suffering an Achilles strain against Ireland.
Hodgson admits that Welbeck’s injury does leave the squad slightly thin, but England will have enough substitutes to make six changes against Brazil.
He told reporters: “It’s unfortunate that Danny Welbeck hasn’t recovered from Wednesday. We only have the players who we stepped off the plane with.
“We might need one or two more. But you’re only allowed six subs in the game, so we have the requisite number to play.
“I’ve not spoken to the players about the team yet. Our possibilities for change are not that numerous. It’s good to be limited and the players play for a longer period of time.”
The 22-year-old, who plays for Manchester United, had previously stated that he was eagerly anticipating facing Brazil and star player Neymar.
England boss Hodgson is also pleased with the players being able to experience the culture of the World Cup 2014 host nation.
“It’s been great coming here,” the 65-year-old concluded.
“Great for the players who have never been to Brazil before. They get a feel for the country.”
Today’s game is scheduled to kick off at 20:00 BST and you can follow all the action on Sambafoot’s live text commentary.
Source: Goal.com
