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England squad: Daniel Sturridge 'set to withdraw' from Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania with hip problem

Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason has been called up for his first England senior squad after Aston Villa’s Fabian Delph went down with a stomach bug

Sam Wallace
Monday 23 March 2015 20:10 GMT
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Despite picking up a hip injury in the defeat to Manchester United, Daniel Sturridge has still joined up with the England squad
Despite picking up a hip injury in the defeat to Manchester United, Daniel Sturridge has still joined up with the England squad

Daniel Sturridge is on the brink of withdrawing from another England squad with a hip problem for which he underwent a scan at St George’s Park today ahead of the Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania on Friday.

The striker was injured during Sunday’s game against Manchester United but joined up with the England squad nonetheless. Relations between the Football Association and Liverpool are delicate to say the least after the recriminations around Sturridge’s debilitating international-duty injury in September that cost him months of playing time with Liverpool.

While Adam Lallana did not report to St George’s Park with his groin strain – he went straight to Melwood, the club headquarters, and was withdrawn after a scan – Sturridge has followed FA protocol by joining up and a decision will be made on him tomorrow. England fly to Turin on Monday for their friendly game against Italy the following Tuesday.

Sturridge has not played for England since he picked up an injury during an England training session following the friendly against Norway in September. An almighty row between club and country ensued with blame placed at the FA’s door for what Liverpool saw as their failure not to give Sturridge the requisite rest time. This time around there is no appetite on either side for those recriminations.

Ryan Mason has been called into the England squad by Hodgson after Fabian Delph went down with a stomach bug The Aston Villa midfielder has not been released by the England manager but he is a doubt for the game on Friday.

Mason’s elevation shows how highly regarded he is by the England manager. The 23-year-old is in his first senior squad. He played for the Under-20s and the Under-19s but injuries prevented him ever hitting the kind of form needed for an Under-21s call-up.

Since naming his squad on Thursday, Hodgson has seen Luke Shaw and Fraser Forster pull out with injuries. They have been replaced with the Danny Rose and the two goalkeepers Rob Green and Jack Butland, from the Under-21s.

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