Roy Hodgson’s initial England squad for the current international fixtures has faced some changes since his initial announcement. Injuries have plagued his team already, and with players withdrawing you have to ask; has he made the right choices?

One comment that has been flagged is that Hodgson seems to pick his sides based on the teams they play for - the bigger the team, the more likely you are to be chosen. Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all have had players chosen for England. But the argument has been, is it the name of the club that is the influence rather than the quality of the player?

Ryan Mason’s belated call up has sparked some debate in itself. Mason looked somewhat of a ‘last resort’ when he was included in the squad, as Adam Lallana had to withdraw his services due to injury. Although Mason is elated to be included in the England squad, as it is a dream to play for his country, is it not a bit of a kick in the teeth to be only a back up option?

Finally, Roy Hodgson has seen sense and included Michael Carrick in his squad. The midfielder is definitely on form for his club, and his inclusion is justified. Carrick has been massively overlooked in recent years which even Paul Scholes has shed light on. Carrick will show the England side exactly what they have been missing with his exclusion in international competitions.

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Leaving out Charlie Austin and Danny Ings is tricky. There is plenty of competition up front, but look at the season all three are having. Without any disrespect, Harry Kane does deserve to be in the squad ahead of all three. But being overlooked for England selection does not retract from the form they are currently in.

Roy Hodgson has got it spot on for calling up Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane. Harry Kane has had an exceptional season, and is one of the players filling column inches - and that was proven when he nodded in his first England just 89 seconds after coming on for his debut against Lithuania. Kane is joint top goalscorer this season, with Chelsea’s Diego Costa, and Spurs of course signed him up for a five-and-a-half-year deal. He is only the fourth player to win back to back Player of The Month awards, so it's a no brainer that Roy called up the 21-year-old, who will be hoping the prolific goalscorer will be as important for his country.

For the most part, Hodgson’s inclusions have been justified. It is unfortunate that Fraser Forster is forced to miss the qualifiers due to injury, as he has 13 clean sheets to his name for Southampton this season. Roy Hodgson has expressed his devastation at Forster’s injury, whilst throwing a sly dig at replacements Rob Green and Jack Butland.

Hodgson must be careful he is not so influenced by the media with his selections: choosing a player based on their club is not always justified. Individual performances must be taken into account. A poor team is not always filled with poor players.

Brazil vs Chile

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