Terry and Cole injury doubts put England in defensive sweat

Chelsea left-back unable to train yesterday as Hodgson tries Jagielka in back-four spot

John Terry (GETTY IMAGES)

John Terry sought to draw a line last night under fears about the hamstring injury which threatens to render Rio Ferdinand's absence from the European Championship even more questionable, though even as he did so the name of Ashley Cole was added to Roy Hodgson's list of defensive problems.

"I'm fit. I trained today," said Terry, right, who did participate fully yesterday at the local stadium of Hutnik Krakow, having been limited to a partial work-out on Wednesday. It was Cole's failure to train, or to turn up last night with the rest of the squad for a civic function hosted by the mayor of Krakow, yards from the team hotel, which created the latest cause for concern.

Initially, the suggestion was that the left-back was laid low by a stomach upset, though another source suggested last night that an ankle injury was the problem – and the Football Association would not comment on that. Cole has a long-standing chronic ankle problem which sometimes prevents him from training for 48 hours after a game and his presence at training today is in some doubt.

A week ago, Hodgson's defence – Glen Johnson, Gary Cahill, Terry and Cole – seemed to be the one certainty he would be bringing to the banks of the Vistula. Now it is anything but.

England's closed training session at Hutnik's ground also had Hodgson experimenting with the idea of Phil Jagielka, rather than Joleon Lescott, operating alongside Terry on the right side of central defence, owing to the fact that both Terry and the left-footed Lescott are more naturally inclined to operate on the other side. Ferdinand's presence would create less concern about who plays where.

The other partnership tried out yesterday was Lescott and Jagielka – a sign that an element of doubt does exist around Terry's fitness. The Chelsea player insisted last night that he was "more than happy to play on the right side of defence".

Danny Welbeck's deployment yesterday morning in front of Ashley Young in training suggests that the greater defensive rigidity Andy Carroll provided in Oslo two weeks ago may not tempt Hodgson to go with the Carroll-Young combination against France on Monday.

However, the uncertainty surrounding the date of the bereaved Jermain Defoe's return to the camp leaves Hodgson with only three front men for the first two games.

The France coach, Laurent Blanc, stirred the pot yesterday in the Ferdinand affair by declaring that "from afar, the choice not to take him isn't a sporting choice".