Picking England's XI to face Italy - Andy Carroll to start?

England are set to take on Italy tomorrow in an International friendly and Roy Hodgson has chosen to select an experimental squad for the rematch against England’s Euro 2012 conquerors.

Premier League managers will be frustrated with the timing of the match, just 3 days before the Premier League kicks off but the game will offer Hodgson a chance to assess the options available to him.

Plenty of players will want to stake their claim for a regular squad place knowing that with Hart, Terry, A. Cole, Gerrard and Rooney missing (as well as other important squad players) places will be more congested for choice upon their returns.

Jack Butland, Steven Caulker, Tom Cleverley and Ryan Bertrand all join up with the squad having recently been a part of Team GB in the Olympics and they will be hoping that their experiences of International tournament football will stand them in good stead. Other new faces include Jake Livermore of Spurs, who has come on leaps and bounds over the last 18 months and new Man City signing Jack Rodwell, who has received previous call ups but would not be classed as a squad regular.

Looking at the squad selected it has to be assumed that Hodgson’s men will line up in a 4-3-3 style formation with Carroll leading the line. Jermain Defoe is the only other recognised striker. Based on this here is the likely line-up for the game, barring last minute injuries:

------------------Butland------------------

-Walker—Jagielka—Cahill—Baines-

------------------Carrick------------------

------------Milner-----Cleverley---------

--A.Johnson-----------------------Young—

------------------Carroll-------------------

With a squad of just 18, the likes of Livermore, Rodwell and Bertrand will also have an opportunity to make an impact even if only as second half substitutes. Theo Walcott's injury could hand a chance for Adam Johnson, who if rumours of a bust up with Mancini are true may hope to put herself in the shop window. Although Italy have also named a weakened squad missing key players, the likes of De Rossi, Nocerino and Abate will all be on show and it will provide the squad members valuable playing time against quality opposition.

So would you be happy with the expected line-up? Or do you simply not care about this game?

image: © andrew_j_w