Wilshere is rushed back for Sweden friendly

Seventeen months after winning the last of his five caps, against Switzerland at Wembley, Wilshere has been included in Hodgson’s 23-man squad for the friendly with Sweden in Stockholm next Wednesday.

Wilshere has made only three appearances for Arsenal since returning from a catalogue of injuries.

However, with last weekend’s dismissal at Manchester United meaning the 20-year-old must sit out Arsenal’s Premier League encounter with Fulham at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow, Hodgson has opted to select Wilshere 
despite Arsene Wenger cautioning against such a move earlier this week.

As expected, England will be captained by Steven Gerrard, who will become only the sixth player in England history to reach 100 caps if he plays.

The other member of the 99-cap club, Ashley Cole, is among those who miss out through injury, with Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard and Manchester City trio Jack Rodwell, Joleon Lescott and James Milner also sidelined.

Steven Caulker, Ryan Shawcross and Ryan Bertrand are the uncapped defenders named, although all have been in past squads.

The same is also true of Liverpool teenager Raheem Sterling, although his presence ahead of the World Cup qualifier with Ukraine in September was only as a very late call-up.

This time, the 17-year-old is included on merit from the outset after an outstanding season with Liverpool so far.

The only completely new face is Everton’s Leon Osman, who at 31 is finally rewarded for his consistency in the Blues’ surge up the Premier League table.

Jermain Defoe responded to his England absence by scoring a superb hat-trick that put Tottenham’s Europa League campaign back on track with a 3-1 win over Maribor.

Just nine hours after he was left out of Hodgson’s squad, the Spurs striker put in a top-class performance against Slovenian side Maribor, scoring all three goals to move Tottenham up to second in Group J with two matches to go.

Liverpool, who left the likes of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez at home, lost 1-0 to Anzhi Makhachkala in Group A, while Newcastle came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in Group D in Bruges.

England squad for friendly against Sweden on November 14: Hart (Man City), Ruddy (Norwich), Forster (Celtic); Baines (Everton), Bertrand (Chelsea), Cahill (Chelsea), Caulker (Tottenham), Jagielka (Everton), Johnson (Liverpool), Shawcross (Stoke), Walker (Tottenham); Cleverley (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool, capt), Lennon (Tottenham), Osman (Everton), Shelvey (Liverpool), Sterling (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal), Wilshere (Arsenal), Young (Man Utd); Rooney (Man Utd), Sturridge (Chelsea), Welbeck (Man Utd).