Belgium clash an eye-opener for Hodgson

England manager Roy Hodgson is relishing the chance to play his best combination in the friendly against Belgium.

The Three Lions won 1-0 against Norway in Oslo on Saturday to give Hodgson a victory in his first match in charge of the national team.

England now have a week of training before the clash with the Belgians at Wembley on Saturday, after which they will depart for Poland to prepare their opening game with France on June 11.

And Hodgson revealed it is likely that the side who take to the field against Belgium on Saturday may well do so against the French, although he admits the performances of some of his fringe squad members in the win over Norway has given him food for thought.

“There is a good chance that some of the players who play against Belgium on Saturday will also be involved in the game against France,” the 64-year-old said.

“But a few players have put spanners in the works. It has given me something to think about.”

England’s win on Saturday was their first in Norway for 32 years, and they face another tricky encounter against a Belgium side which boasts Premier League-winning Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini and Lille sensation Eden Hazard.

And Hodgson thinks the stern test his players face before they depart for the European Championships will hold them in good stead.

“Sometimes when you are preparing matches for major tournaments, you tend to choose opponents where it is not going to be that difficult to get a result,” the former West Brom boss said.

“No one could accuse us, in coming to Norway without four or five of our most famous players, and then playing Belgium, that we have chosen an easy route.

“I got a lot of answers from Norway because we were playing against a quality opponent.

“If we come through these games with any sort of quality, it will help us when we get to the Euros.”