Possible new blow for Hodgson over Cahill jaw injury
LONDON: Roy Hodgson and England prepared to set off for the Euro 2012 finals worrying about still more injuries, collected in the 1-0 win over Belgium at Wembley.
Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill damaged his jaw early on and was sent for a scan. Hodgson said after the game: “We hope to know something later tonight. If he has fractured the jaw, which is a distinct possibility, then we lose another key element of our group.
“If he hasn’t and it’s a bad bruise then that won’t stop him going with us and playing there so it’s a question of waiting. There’s also a slight worry over John Terry who felt a tightening of a hamstring but he will also have a scan tomorrow. In the meantime I’m not prepared to think of what ifs.”
Hodgson criticised Dries Mertens for pushing Cahill into Joe Hart for the collision which caused the injury, saying: “The referee gave him a yellow card whch he deserved but the consequences might be a lot worse than just a yellow card [offence].”
England have already had to replace experienced midfielders Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard in the squad originally registered with European federation UEFA last Tuesday.
Hodgson praised the effort of captain Steven Gerrard and endurance of midfield partner Scott Parker. He added: “Belgium are a good team with some very good players and gave us exactly the sort of test I thought they would so I’m not prepared to be too critical because I admire the determination and concentration which was encapsulated in a lot of the things which Steven Gerrard did.”
Belgium coach Marc Wilmots said: “I was very satisfied with our performance unfortunately we gave away a goal with our own mistake. We deserved a draw because we controlled the first halfhour and much of the second half. Our players now have been called the ‘golden generation’ but they are not golden until they have achieved something and they have a long way to go.”
He praised England’s two lines of four for squeezing the space in which his midfielders had to work and praised the pace of Ashley Young and the selfless manner in which England’s forwards fell back to support their midfield.
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