Hodgson likely to experiment against Italy, reveals Gary Neville

Aug 9, 2012 5:44:00 PM

The Three Lions are set to face their Euro 2012 conquerors on Wednesday but are likely to hand opportunities to young players with the new Premier League season looming

England coach Gary Neville has revealed that manager Roy Hodgson is likely to name an experimental squad for the upcoming friendly against Italy.

The Three Lions go head-to-head with their Euro 2012 conquerors on Wednesday August 15, just three days prior to the start of the new Premier League campaign.

And former Manchester United defender Neville has hinted at several new players being given the opportunity to impress in Switzerland.

"Roy Hodgson was very clear that he would always use friendlies to have a look at people he hadn't seen before or to develop new ideas," he told reporters.

"He has good ideas about what he wants to do with this friendly. It is the only environment he will have to look at people.

"But they have to be the right players and they have to be ready."

The 37-year-old also played down the importance of getting a result against Cesare Prandelli's men, who went on to reach the final in Poland & Ukraine this summer after beating England in the quarter-finals.

"You have to consider what you want out of a game," he added. "We are at the end of pre-season, the league is just about to start and we have three days to prepare, so you are not going to get a perfect performance.

"Also I am not quite sure it will have an effect on the Moldova game. I played in a lot of England friendlies when the result wasn't backed up in the competitive matches afterwards.

"What we need is a good quality performance to keep the momentum going. We are unbeaten so far in terms of normal football and are developing a squad that can take the country towards the World Cup."