Roy Hodgson praises Everton, Tottenham and Leicester stars in England victory

The Three Lions face Estonia and Lithuania having already qualified for the Euro 2016 Championships.

Hodgson does not expect Rooney’s ankle problem or Carrick’s groin injury to keep the pair out of United’s fixture at Everton on Saturday week.

The Football Association had earlier confirmed that Rooney will attend the game against Estonia in order to collect a commemorative golden boot for breaking Bobby Charlton’s scoring record.

It means Hodgson will be looking for a new captain as Cahill, who had replaced the injured Rooney at Wembley will be absent along with further contenders for the armband Hart and Milner.

“I don’t understand how we can play 13 games unbeaten and win 10 of those and draw three, I don’t understand how we can be top of our group with 24 points and teams that are above us have six points less, I don’t quite understand how it works.

We knew it would be a hard 90 minutes”, said Hodgson, who handed a debut to 19-year-old Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Delle Ali.

Hodgson has used Walcott mostly on the right for England, but the 26-year-old has impressed in a central role for his club this season and has admitted that is where he wants to play for the national team as well. In eight games, the visitors have scored a meagre four goals and are yet to get off the mark away from home.

Hodgson will be praying that the injury list will not increase before Friday evening as his Three Lions side bid to make it a flawless ten in qualifying.

Sterling has not set the world alight at the Etihad yet but I would like to see him play off Harry Kane as I thought he was outstanding at the front of the diamond in England’s win in Switzerland which opened our Euro 2016 campaign last September. “He doesn’t feel he’s limited to a position”.

‘But that’s a coach’s job with a very talented young player with lots of ability, using that ability in the right moments.

The starting XI here is not expected to differ too much for the one that takes to the field for the opening game of next summer’s tournament, with the exception of the forward line.

“We are not in an experimental mode, we think we’ve done enough experimenting”, he said.

Estonia threatened on several occasions, but lacked that clinical touch up front, and England took advantage after the break. “Jamie Vardy was only on a few minutes before setting up the goal so we’re very satisfied with victory”, he said. “There were one or two other candidates, but I’m pleased Ross got it. We saw what he can do out there”.