Delph placed on England standby list

Fabian Delph has been placed on a standby list by England manager Roy Hodgson after a groin injury forced him out of Friday’s Euro 2016 warm-up against Australia.

The Manchester City midfielder was, for many, a shock inclusion in Hodgson’s provisional 26-man party, having seen first-team opportunities limited during an injury-hit season.

And the national team boss now concedes that Delph will have to rely on withdrawals from his final 23-man squad if he is to feature for England in France.

“I’ve put him on a standby list, which he understands and accepts,” Hodgson said.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a long-term injury for him, so if I needed him and wanted him to come with us, it’s easy for me to call him and ask him to do so.

“But I have actually said to him that, with the situation that we have with the other 25 players, it might be unlikely.”

England kick off their Euro 2016 campaign against Russia on June 11.