Roy Hodgson has named his England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Chile and Germany, and there will be a trio of Chelsea players potentially representing the three lions in those games. The following players were named to the England squad, including Frank Lampard, Gary Cahill, and Ashley Cole:
Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster, Joe Hart, John Ruddy
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Ross Barkley, Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere
Forwards: Jermain Defoe, Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Daniel Welbeck
I'm not all that surprised by many of Hodgson's picks, but I'm not sure exactly why players like Lampard and Cole are getting calls for meaningless games. WIth the World Cup approaching and not many friendlies between now and the start of the tournament, this pair of contests seem like an ideal situation in which to get a look at some younger players on the fringe of the squad. With guys like Lampard and Cole the manager should know exactly what he already has, and all that their inclusion is accomplishing is a bit more wear and tear on older legs.
Regardless of the pointless nature of these games, congratulations to the trio on being selected to the squad. Just stay healthy over the break...ok?