Hodgson defied by Manchester City over players' rest
LONDON. KAZINFORM - Roy Hodgson has expressed his disappointment after finding out that Manchester City have defied his request for all Premier League clubs to give their England internationals a free week before joining up for the start of the World Cup preparations.
Hodgson had written to all the relevant clubs asking them to help his plans by resting England's players once the Premier League season had finished, according to The Guardian. The England manager has now been made aware that City have arranged an exhibition game against Al Ain in Abu Dhabi on 15 May and that Joe Hart and James Milner will not be excused from making the four-day trip. Liverpool have arranged a game against Shamrock Rovers for the previous day but have agreed to Hodgson's request and decided to give Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Raheem Sterling, Danny Sturridge and Jordan Henderson the week off. City, however, have made it compulsory that their entire squad reports for duty in front of their owner, Sheikh Mansour.
"I sent out a letter, on FA paper, to the clubs, giving them our programme," Hodgson said. "I asked them to be aware that my intention was that, from the last game of the season, the players should be totally free until we meet up - to get a break from football. But the bottom line is that we have no control over it."
The Football Association is liaising with City and the club's response has been that Milner and Hart will not be involved in the game and can use the trip purely as a sunshine break in luxury surroundings. Hodgson's view, however, is that the players should get a clean break before reporting for international duty on 19 May.
"I've done what I can do," Hodgson said. "I'm England's manager and I've said to the clubs I think it's best - and don't forget the players have to come back to their clubs at the end of the World Cup - the players have a week away from football at the end of the season to relax and clear their mind so that from 19 May they can settle down and put a lot of thought, focus and physicality into trying to win the World Cup. If the clubs say: 'We're not interested in that, we want to do something else,' there's nothing I can do about it. I don't have the right, or the authority, to tell clubs what to do at the end of the season."
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