Hodgson gambles on leaving Gerrard out

The likes of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard remained on Merseyside when the squad flew out to Naples yesterday.

Hodgson is also without Glen Johnson, who missed the derby defeat at Everton with a hamstring problem, and Daniel Agger, who is ill.

But, having slipped to second-bottom in the Barclays Premier League after just one victory in eight games, Hodgson is rightly prioritising domestic affairs.

"I'll leave some players out – that's for sure," he said.

"Some of the more important senior players won't travel because their participation on Sunday is going to be so important to us.

"It's not just a question of playing three matches in a week it's also a question of injury.

"I don't think our squad is so strong that I can afford to risk them. But it'll still be a strong team we put out there and I think it's a chance for some players who have been on the fringes, like David Ngog and others like Ryan Babel who has had very few chances.

"It's yet another opportunity for these players to blast their way into the team and force me to look at them in a different light, to make sure they are players that are first on the list and not down the pecking order."