Hodgson sweats on Rooney’s fitness ahead of England’s decisive qualifiers

England manager Roy Hodgson faces an anxious wait to see if Wayne Rooney is fit to return from injury after naming him in his squad for the World Cup qualifiers with Montenegro and Poland.
England's Wayne Rooney.England's Wayne Rooney.
England's Wayne Rooney.

Rooney was injured in training and missed Manchester United’s 1-1 draw away to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday but manager David Moyes expects him to be fit to face Sunderland on Saturday.

Hodgson looks set to pair Rooney with Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge who returns to the England set-up after injury.

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The former Sheffield United defenders Kyle Walker and Phil Jagielka are in the squad, as is Sheffield-born Gary Cahill and Leeds-born midfielder James Milner.

The England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland is: Hart (Man City), Forster (Celtic), Ruddy (Norwich); Baines (Everton), Cahill (Chelsea), Cole (Chelsea), Jagielka (Everton), Jones (Man Utd), Smalling (Man Utd), Walker (Tottenham); Barkley (Everton), Carrick (Man Utd), Cleverley (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), Milner (Man City), Townsend (Tottenham), Wilshere (Arsenal); Defoe (Tottenham), Lambert (Southampton), Rooney (Man Utd), Sturridge (Liverpool), Welbeck (Man Utd).

Tom Ince, Raheem Sterling, Ravel Morrison and Sheffield United goalkeeper George Long have all been named by Gareth Southgate in an attack-minded England Under-21 squad, while Burnley striker Danny Ings can celebrate a first international call-up at any level after his electric start to the season.

The quintet are in a 24-man group for the European qualifiers against San Marino and Lithuania next week.

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Blackpool winger Ince returns to the group after injury, while Sterling is back with the Under-21s after missing the recent games against Moldova and Finland while on duty with the senior team.

Morrison, previously capped at U16, U17 and U18 level, earns recognition for his recent performances with West Ham with a maiden call at this level.

Ings gets the call after scoring 10 goals in 13 games for Burnley to help them to the top of the Sky Bet Championship.

long was in the last squad that defeated Scotland 6-0 at Bramall Lane in August.

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Southgate’s side travel to San Marino for a match on Thursday October 10 before facing Lithuania at Portman Road five days later.

Squad: Bond (Watford), Butland (Barnsley, on loan from Stoke City), Long (Sheffield United); Dier (Sporting Lisbon), Jenkinson (Arsenal), Keane (Manchester United), Robinson (Blackpool, on loan from Liverpool), Shaw (Southampton), Stones (Everton); Carroll (QPR, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Chalobah (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Chelsea), Hughes (Derby County), Morrison (West Ham United), Ward-Prowse (Southampton); Ameobi (Newcastle United), Ince (Blackpool), Lingard (Birmingham City, on loan from Manchester United), Redmond (Norwich City), Sterling (Liverpool), Zaha (Manchester United); Berahino (West Bromwich Albion), Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Ings (Burnley), Powell (Wigan Athletic, on loan from Manchester United).