Hodgson sweating on Barry as squad deadline looms
ENGLAND manager Roy Hodgson is poised to discover whether midfielder Gareth Barry will be fit for next month’s European Championship, after a narrow victory in Norway got his reign off to a winning start.
Manchester City’s Barry is set to have a scan today on the groin injury that forced him off just 28 minutes after coming off the bench in the low-key 1-0 triumph in Oslo, earned by Ashley Young’s early goal.
Doubts also remain over full-back Glen Johnson and forward Danny Welbeck, neither of whom featured on Saturday night, with Hodgson having only until midday tomorrow to make any changes to his 23-man squad.
Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson appears the most obvious like-for-like replacement on the stand-by list should Barry be ruled out of the tournament in Ukraine and Poland, which starts on 10 June.
Versatile Everton defender Phil Jagielka, who played 90 minutes alongside City’s Joleon Lescott at centre back, is another option.
Fireworks may have been lacking but a solid first win over these opponents in six attempts, particularly after Hodgson had spent less than a week with his new charges, gave the new manager cause for encouragement.
“I am aware that it is very much work in progress but after three days with this team I have to be satisfied with a more-than-reasonable performance,” he said.
“We showed a lot of discipline and worked very hard. We weren’t as good going forward as we are going to be, but we showed glimpses of it.”
Hodgson’s team were without the Chelsea contingent, afforded time off following their Champions League triumph seven days earlier, and striker Wayne Rooney, who will join the squad this week.
FITNESS BULLETIN
Injury doubts
● Gareth Barry – groin
● Danny Welbeck – ankle
● Glen Johnson – toe infection
Stand-by list
● Phil Jagielka
● Jordan Henderson
● Adam Johnson
● Daniel Sturridge
● Martin Kelly