Roy Hodgson has admitted that he is keeping a close eye on the fitness of Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson before naming England's final Euro 2016 squad.
Arsenal midfielder Wilshere has endured another injury-plagued campaign for club and country, making just three appearances all term - two of which came from the substitutes' bench.
International teammate Henderson missed 10 Liverpool matches in the final run-in after damaging the lateral collateral ligaments in his left knee, meanwhile, before making a return for the last league game of the season.
Hodgson is willing to give both players all the time they need to prove their fitness prior to naming his final 23-man squad later this month.
"The mere fact Henderson is in contention is an enormous bonus because when the injury occurred, we were told to work on the basis that it would keep him out of the Euros because it would take a longer recovery time," the England boss told reporters.
"He, alongside Jack, are the reasons we have extended our squad from the usual 23 to 26 because we do need to assess them. We do need to be sure that if we are going to select them, they will be the Jordan Henderson and the Jack Wilshere that we know and not players that are recovering to be that player again.
"We have to be satisfied with them. An international tournament puts an awful of demand on a player physically."
England play Turkey at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday in the first of three Euro 2016 warm-up friendlies.
Daniel Lewis
