Manchester United striker joins a trio of Blues in the Three Lions squad to face Scotland.
England manager Roy Hodgson admits he is powerless to stop Wayne Rooney being tapped up by the Chelsea players in his squad.
Blues stars Frank Lampard, Gary Cahill and Ashley Cole, a close friend of Rooney’s, are all on international duty for the friendly against arch-rivals Scotland at Wembley next Wednesday and it’s rumoured they will use it as a means to coax the Manchester United striker to join them at Stamford Bridge.
Hodgson feels he has a responsibility to David Moyes to nip that in the bud, but acknowledges that it would be impossible for him to prevent Cole and his team-mates from communicating with the 27-year-old and defended the United boss for allowing him to join up with the Three Lions.
“I don’t know what’s being naive,” Hodgson told the Express. “Ashley Cole and Wayne are quite close friends. David Moyes must know that as well. If they weren’t speaking in a hotel, they would be on the telephone.
“But I do accept a duty of care. I will make it clear to the Chelsea and United players – and anyone else for that matter, because United are associated with players that we might have in our squad – that this is England.
“You can speak as much as you like to each other; but this is England against Scotland and the matches beyond. I don’t expect anybody for one minute to fracture their concentration from what’s important.”
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