Intro:

England players trained in the pouring rain in Krakow on Wednesday, two days ahead of their Euro 2012 Group D meeting with Sweden.

Script:

This is the sort of weather the English players thought they had left at home ...

Heavy rain limited training at the Hutnik Stadium on Wednesday.

That might have been a good thing for some in the squad.

Thirty-one-year-old Scott Parker found it tough going against France in Donetsk on Monday and eventually had to be substituted.

Steven Gerrard lasted the entire 90 minutes.

But the 32-year-old captain is not as resilient as he once was.

England's strength on Monday was obstinacy, underscored by the fact no goalkeeper in the tournament has yet to make more saves than Joe Hart, while Gerrard, Parker and Joleon Lescott made the most blocks in the competition's opening eight games.

Wayne Rooney will complete his two-match ban when he sits out the Sweden game on Friday.

In his absence, Hodgson could replace the stylish Danny Welbeck with the more direct Andy Carroll.