Moving: Holocaust Survivor Zigi Shipper addresses the England squad

But the alternative would be the inexperienced Henderson or Jones and with Lampard and Barry out it means he has no choice but to start with Parker.

Had Lampard not suffered this setback, he would have been pushing for a starting place when there is the feeling Parker still needs to be nurtured back to full fitness.

The plan against Norway last weekend was to play him for just 45 minutes. In the end Hodgson left him on the pitch for the first 15 minutes of the second half but it is unlikely he will play the full 90 at Wembley tomorrow. England staff are not sure he is capable of playing for the full 90 minutes.

Beyond the four central  midfielders Hodgson is taking there are other options.

James Milner has some experience of playing in a central role for club as well as country, and there is a belief that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has the versatility to play there too.

But this is not the kind of situation England would have wanted so close to the tournament, particularly when they had already lost Jack Wilshere to injury.

It leaves Hodgson just one injury setback away from a completely makeshift central midfield when he already has to contend with the suspension of Wayne Rooney for the first two matches and the loss of Kyle Walker to injury, too.

But the FA have stressed again that calling up Michael Carrick was not an option.

The FA were informed in January that the Manchester United midfielder no longer wanted to be a member of the squad.

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