England News

• Nickname:Three Lions
• Founded: 1872
• Manager:Roy Hodgson

• Ground:Wembley Stadium
• Capacity:90,000

Bilic blames league for woes

09 Sep 2008 - 09:47:02

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Croatia coach Slaven Bilic has accused Premier League managers of undermining the England team's chances of success.

Bilic, who has himself been linked with a move into Premier League management with West Ham United this week, believes his international counterpart Fabio Capello is facing an uphill battle to bring success to England.

Bilic will lead his Croatia side into World Cup 2010 qualification action against England in Zagreb on Wednesday knowing the opposition has been weakened by the absence of Steven Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves.

Liverpool sent their skipper for surgery on a groin problem during the international break, while Manchester United claimed Hargreaves wasn't fit to report for duty as he continues to be troubled by tendinitis in his knees.

"When your league and clubs are much bigger than the national team you have a problem," Bilic told The Sun.

"You can't help the national team. Put it this way - did Gerrard have to go have the operation now? Is Hargreaves really so injured that he can't even come to try?

"Of course if my players are injured they're not playing.

"Firstly because of them and secondly because we have to have a fit guy playing. I never had a problem with a club that told me, 'he ain't gonna come'.

"But using the international break to rest players or for them to have an operation, well you need to address that."