England v Belgium preview


Three Lions take in their final fixture before Euro 2012

Last updated: 1st June 2012   Subscribe to RSS Feed
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard: Belgium's highly-rated playmaker will attract plenty of attention at Wembley
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson: Last chance to take a look at his squad before the European Championships

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England's final fixture before embarking on their quest for Euro 2012 glory sees them welcome a dangerous Belgium side to Wembley Stadium.
New national team coach Roy Hodgson has been given just two games in which to draw up a European Championship master-plan, and Saturday's 90 minutes are his last before the Three Lions jet off to Poland and Ukraine.
He opened his reign with a 1-0 victory over Norway in Oslo, but a lacklustre display posed as many questions as it offered answers.
Hodgson is, however, expected to shuffle his pack against Belgium, with it likely that he will offer his preferred starting XI an opportunity to get acquainted with one another.
Unfortunately for the experienced tactician, the names of those who make up his strongest side have probably changed on a daily basis of late.
Gareth Barry sustained an injury against Norway that will see him miss Euro 2012, while fellow midfielder Frank Lampard also misses out after suffering a thigh problem in training.
Phil Jagielka and Jordan Henderson have been added to the squad, with both making the step up from the standby list after initially been left out of England's 23-man squad.
They could be offered an opportunity to catch the eye this weekend, but will probably find themselves on the bench at kick-off.
Hodgson knows he has much work to do if he is to turn England into potential conquerors of the continent, and he will also be aware that Belgium will provide a tough test at Wembley.
Marc Wilmots' side may have failed to qualify for Euro 2012, after finishing third in their group behind Germany and Turkey, but they have enough potential and experience within their ranks to trouble the Three Lions.

Training relief

After suffering a week of injury-induced headaches, Hodgson will be relieved to have seen all 23 of his charges training on Friday.
Doubts over Scott Parker's fitness appear to have eased, while Ashley Young has shaken off a slight knock picked up in Oslo.
Danny Welbeck and Glen Johnson should figure against Belgium after being left out of the Norway trip and Theo Walcott looks to be OK despite requiring heavy strapping around his ankle.
With Hodgson expected to make a number of changes to the side that saw him make the perfect start to his England career, the likes of Joe Hart, Ashley Cole and John Terry could make their first appearances of a new era.
Familiar faces
They will line up against a number of familiar faces, and a man being tipped to take the Premier League by storm in 2012/13.
Those Chelsea fans heading to Wembley on Saturday will be looking forward to taking a close look at Eden Hazard, the highly-rated 21-year-old who claims to be on his way to Stamford Bridge.
England will need to keep a close eye on him, along with Fulham forward Moussa Dembele and Chelsea frontman Romelu Lukaku.
The Three Lions will also be aware of how dangerous Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini can be, while a defensive unit that includes Manchester City captain Vicent Kompany, Arsenal centre-half Thomas Vermaelen, Tottenham target Jan Vertongen and Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet will be difficult to break down.
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