Football
ESPN staff 9y

Roy Hodgson: I won't rest Liverpool's Raheem Sterling for England yet

England manager Roy Hodgson has said he does not plan to rest Liverpool's Raheem Sterling against Estonia on Sunday.

The former Liverpool boss used Sterling for only the opening 45 minutes of Thursday's 5-0 win over San Marino at Wembley, substituting him at half-time.

Current Anfield manager Brendan Rodgers has voiced concerns about the workload being faced by 19-year-old Sterling, but Hodgson said he was not intending to sideline him yet as England continue their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

"We are conscious of managing the situation," Hodgson told a press conference, reported in the Liverpool Echo. "When he shows signs of not being quite as sharp, that might be the moment we think we have to manage this and give him a break.

"I don't think the situation will need managing until he shows signs of suffering from it. But that is not the case at the moment -- and I don't think Liverpool need to worry."

Rodgers had voiced frustration at the way in which England had managed another of his star players, striker Daniel Sturridge, who suffered a thigh strain when training for last month's win over Switzerland.

He said that was "an injury that could have been prevented," and Sturridge has not appeared for Liverpool since then.

Meanwhile, Hodgson said he wanted England to continue the momentum gained from the win against San Marino when they take to the pitch against Estonia in Tallinn on Sunday.

"The result against San Marino was good and we have to make certain people are aware that, against Estonia, we must not let anything slip," he explained.

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