With only eight points, England sits two points behind Montenegro for the top spot in Group H of the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers.
The team will have a chance to catch up with a victory over San Marino on Friday, but the greatest obstacle for England may not even be their opponents but themselves. When manager Roy Hodgson announced his lineup a few days ago, he shocked the world by reinserting Rio Ferdinand into the lineup. His return to the national side could create tension with Ashley Cole as the two players had a falling out over a racism issue last year. Hodgson stated that he was hoping to overlook those issues and field a unified squad.
The return of Ferdinand has also brought up questions of the defender's future with the team. In response, Hodgson stated, 'I think we should just wait and see, I think it's more a question of how his injury situation will impact upon him playing for England, so we'll have to wait and see what happens in the future. At the moment it's speculation about a longer-term future whereas my focus is on these next two games, which are important for us in our bid to qualify. I am happy with the squad we've got.''
England destroyed San Marino at home 5-0 on Oct. 12. Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck each scored braces while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain added the final tally.
San Marino has yet to score a single goal in their four qualifiers and has surrendered 16 goals in the process.
Predictions: England should take this match with ease; 4-0 England.
Start Time: 4 PM
TV Info: Sportsnet One
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