MX23RW : Wednesday, November 27 04:37:01| >> :600:155553:155553:

Glenn Hoddle: 'Wrap Steven Gerrard in cotton wool before World Cup'

Roy Hodgson is warned to protect England captain Steven Gerrard ahead of the World Cup by former manager Glenn Hoddle.

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has advised current boss Roy Hodgson that captain Steven Gerrard should be "wrapped up in cotton wool" to avoid injury ahead of the World Cup.

The Three Lions saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pick up a knee injury in the draw against Ecuador, with the Arsenal player now a doubt for the tournament.

However, Hoddle believes that Hodgson could avoid further injury blows if he protects his skipper.

In a column for William Hill, he wrote: "Roy must have winced when his captain was hurt in an early tackle during the Peru game at Wembley, in the final warm-up game on home soil before heading off to Miami.

"Personally, I wouldn't have risked him for longer than a half, and in fact, wouldn't have even started with him. He needs to be wrapped up in cotton wool and protected like a National Treasure.

"Look at the major worry now circulating around Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. It's horrible for the player, horrible for the manager."

England's first game comes against 2006 champions Italy in Manaus on June 14.

ID:158535: cacheID:158535:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2342:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Everton's John Stones in action against Aston Villa during their Premier League match on February 1, 2014
Read Next:
Stones 'can handle World Cup pressure'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!