John Terry is in danger of missing the European Championship as Roy Hodgson agonises over whether he can have both the Chelsea captain and Rio Ferdinand in his squad.
The new England manager still plans to speak to the centre backs before naming his squad in a week and only after having those conversations - neither of which have taken place yet - will he decide on the best way forward.
But as Sportsmail revealed last week, Hodgson thinks it will be difficult to take both of them when Terry's trial for a racially aggravated public order offence that involves Ferdinand's brother, Anton, will not take place until after the tournament.
Behind you! Terry misses a tackle as Suarez capitalises for Liverpool
Terry strenuously denies racially abusing Anton at Loftus Road in October but Chelsea's request to Westminster Magistrates' Court to delay the trial until July has presented the Football Association with a huge selection problem.
It was a key reason why Terry was stripped of the captaincy in the first place.
Hodgson has a tough decision, for while Joleon Lescott and Gary Cahill will be pushing for a place, right now Ferdinand and Terry probably remain the best centre halves in the country.
Hot News
Rank | Team | W/D/L | Pts |
---|
Cities & Stadiums
The Top 3 Teams of Previous Tournaments
Year | Winners | Runner-up | Third place |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Spain | Germany | Russia / Turkey |
2004 | Greece | Portugal | Netherlands / Czech Republic |
2000 | France | Italy | Netherlands / Portugal |
1996 | Germany | Czech Republic | France / England |
1992 | Denmark | Germany | Netherlands / Sweden |
1988 | Netherlands | Soviet Union | Italy / West Germany |
1984 | France | Spain | Denmark / Portugal |
1980 | West Germany | Belgium | Czechoslovakia |
1976 | Czechoslovakia | West Germany | Netherlands |
1972 | West Germany | Soviet Union | Belgium |
1968 | Italy | Yugoslavia | England |
1964 | Spain | Soviet Union | Hungary |
1960 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | Czechoslovakia |