Hodgson promises changes

22 June 2014 20:01

England will offer a glimpse of the future in their final World Cup match against Costa Rica, with manager Roy Hodgson planning sweeping changes for the clash.

The Three Lions' elimination has already been confirmed following defeats to Italy and Uruguay and Costa Rica's victories over both of those sides.

It means England have fallen at the group stage for the first time in 56 years and Hodgson will use Tuesday's clash against Los Ticos to give his squad players a run out.

Frank Lampard, James Milner and Rickie Lambert are likely to start in Belo Horizonte, as well as younger members of the squad like Ross Barkley, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

"I will be picking it with a view to making certain that all the players, if possible, that have been with us here get some minutes on the field of play," Hodgson said.

"I shall be changing the team. It will be a team which will give people that haven't had much of a chance in the first two games (the chance) to show what they can do.

"If you interpret that as planning for the future, I can understand, but basically not purely planning for the future and it certainly is not purely sentiment.

"It is making certain that the group of players that I personally believe have done everything they possibly could for me and my coaching team to give us success on the field get a chance to go home from this World Cup far too early, bitterly disappointed, but at least being able to say I wasn't there just for the ride, I wasn't there to make up the numbers. I actually took part."

Source: PA