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Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson, and Glen Johnson were all expected to make Roy Hodgson's England squad for the summer's World Cup from Brazil. It's no surprise then that today, all five have been confirmed. The only real surprise for Liverpool fans comes in the form of Jon Flanagan, who was named as one of seven players on the standby list, ready to join the main squad should somebody pick up an injury.
Hodgson has named a youthful 23-man squad, with Ross Barkley, Luke Shaw, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joining Liverpool youngsters Sterling, Henderson, and Sturridge. There are, though, a few old hands, and Frank Lampard makes the squad alongside Steven Gerrard—though with Lampard not expected to start, we may finally be spared discussions about how to fit the two of them into midfield together.
While Lampard is unlikely to start, it's unthinkable that captain Gerrard won't. If England's last friendly is anything to go by, he may be joined in the starting eleven by Liverpool's four other players named to the 23-man squad, with Sturridge and Sterling at the very least seeming locks. Friendlies against Peru on May 30th, Ecuador on June 4th, and Honduras on June 7th will give more insight into whether all five will be heavily involved.
Rumoured Liverpool transfer target Adam Lallana has also been named to the squad and will be in contention to start in Brazil, where England play their first World Cup match against Italy on Saturday, June 14th.
