Prove your worth: Roy Hodgson issues challenge to Daniel Sturridge

England manager Roy Hodgson hopes his players can stay off the front pages in the lead-up to Euro 2016, after one of his stars was allegedly implicated in a lurid blackmail scandal.

England have friendlies coming up against Spain and tournament hosts France next month with a trip to world champions Germany scheduled for March.

Hodgson has been without Liverpool striker Sturridge throughout the qualifying campaign, but saw him return to Premier League action at the end of September after nearly six months out.

Sturridge will feature against Spain and France, fitness permitting, and Hodgson is not prepared to back Rooney, Sturridge or Kane as first choice at the moment.

“It would be ridiculous to say at the moment anyone is number one”, he said.

But we’re expecting him to be the player he was when we selected him, and believed so much in him, before the World Cup.

While highlighting the options in the England national team, the ex-Arsenal man stated: “If someone gets injured it won’t majorly hurt the team like it would have back then because there are plenty of candidates to replace them”.

Hodgson said he had spoken to Sturridge and said to him: “we’re counting on you being fit, getting matches and getting a few goals hopefully and being with us in November”.

“Brendan agreed with me that that was the best thing to do, but I also made it clear I really hope he gets matches now so that by November he’ll be fitter”.

“I am delighted Daniel Sturridge is back fit and playing but I know and he knows and Liverpool knows there is a bit of work for him to do because he has been out for such a long time”. Played through the centre, Sturridge scored on his debut for the Trotters, bagging an injury-time victor against Wolves. “Everyone in the country realises what a talent Daniel is, but it has been a little bit stop-start with England for quite a while now”.

“But it would be a very nice bonus to have him if he was back and fit”. It would be a great bonus if Luke Shaw recovers, if Jack Wilshere gets back again, if Danny Welbeck gets back again, Jordan Henderson, Fabian Delph, Michael Carrick.

Hodgson left the door open for Sturridge to regain his starting role, but said that he has to prove himself once more. “I hope he will be ready to play on Thursday but I do not know”.

“It is one of the old chestnuts that managers don’t want their players to come and play or players are doubtful whether they want to take part in internationals, especially if they are friendlies, but I haven’t found that
at all”.