Hodgson blasts Reds training policy

Roy Hodgson has risked causing the ire of Brendan Rodgers by criticising the two-day recovery method the Liverpool manager uses to try to keep Raheem Sterling fit.

Hodgson's relationship with Rodgers was again put in the spotlight after the former Fulham manager revealed Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling asked to be excluded from the England team for Sunday's 1-0 win in Estonia.

"He (Sterling) said, 'I'm feeling tired, I'd rather sit this one out','' the England manager said after the game, which was settled by a second-half free-kick from Wayne Rooney.

Shortly after revealing the details of the conversation, Hodgson told Rodgers he must do his bit to make sure his teenage star does not suffer from physical and mental fatigue too.

"Am I the only one with that responsibility? Or does it have to be shared between club and country? I think it does," Hodgson said.

The 67-year-old then criticised one of the methods Rodgers uses to try to ensure his quickest players, presumably including Sterling, recover properly from matches.

The Liverpool boss revealed last month that he is a strong believer in giving his "fast" players two-days to recover from matches due to the stresses and strains their speed causes on their bodies.

But Hodgson says there is little evidence the programme benefits players' recovery times.

"Raheem might say it is something that is becoming ingrained in him and that he felt the need to talk about being tired more than he would normally do," Hodgson said.

"But we have never had any problems with that. I don't think there is a lot of medical evidence to support the 'two day recovery'."