Sterling and Caulker given nod as Hodgson looks to the future

LONDON: Raheem Sterling and Steven Caulker are set to receive their first proper call-ups to the England squad for next month’s friendly against Sweden.

England manager Roy Hodgson has suggested the pair – along with Arsenal’s Carl Jenkinson – will be among the young players he wants to include for the match in Stockholm on Nov 14.

Sterling was a late inclusion in Hodgson’s squad for the game against Ukraine in September but did not feature, while Arsenal defender Jenkinson has trained with the senior players and Caulker has also been close.

Sterling, who has been a revelation since breaking into the Liverpool team, then returned to the Under-21 squad for the Euro 2013 playoff against Serbia.

Hodgson said that he might have been included in the squad for the last two World Cup qualifiers – against San Marino and Poland – had he not been needed by the Under-21s.

“Sterling we allowed to go with the Under-21s and we might well have taken him into our squad had they not had such an important game,” Hodgson said, while confirming that he was now “of course” planning to allow Sterling to make the step up.

Caulker – who was also in the Under-21 squad – is also set to be called upwith Hodgson hoping that theManchester United pair of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones will soon return to fitness.

Of Smalling, Hodgson said: “I’d like to think he will come into the squad. The same with Phil Jones.”

Hodgson has also suggested he is interested in Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Naughton, who is returning to fitness, and Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs.

Hodgson has used 36 players already in the 11 matches he has been in charge of England and has also stated that he intends to use the friendly matches as a chance to blood young players.