Liverpool's defender missed training at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium earlier but was in the group that arrived at the stadium.

However, Johnson lasted only a matter of minutes before he headed down the tunnel for further treatment on what was described as "a minor injury" by the FA.

The 31-year-old will captain England in Poland and Ukraine with some suggesting it could be his last major tournament for the side.

Gerrard, though, would like to continue until the next FIFA World Cup in Brazil after denying that he was set to focus on leading Liverpool after an injury-plagued season.

"I can understand that at my age people are going to start questioning me and asking me if I'm going to quit England and focus on Liverpool, but I don't see it like that," he told the Daily Mirror.

"I don't think I have a decision to make. I love playing for England, I love playing for Liverpool."

The midfielder admits that new England boss Roy Hodgson will have the final say in whether he stays on, but after claiming he is fit and strong again, he is determined to prove his worth.

"I think it's going to be a case of let's see how I perform in this tournament," he said.

"Let's see if first and foremost I have a future with this manager if he's keen for me to stay about."

"If the manager says to me at the start of next season that he thinks I did well in the tournament, that he wants me to stick about, that he can protect me, not overuse me and that I have a big part to play, I'm sure I will carry on."

"If the England manager says to me that he wants me to stay around for Brazil, that would be a nice carrot on the end of the string for me."

"That would be a good tournament for me to bow out at, but there are a lot of things to consider."

"The way I look at it at the moment is my body is in the best shape it's been in for many years. My groin problems are all behind me and I feel strong."

Lampard and teammates John Terry, Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill, as well as Daniel Sturridge have been given extra time off by Roy Hodgson after the side's dramatic win over Bayern Munich.

The players were not present when the bulk of England's squad trained under Hodgson for the first time in Manchester.

Lampard said: "It's nice for the Chelsea boys because we'll go with confidence with England when we join up next week."

"England have got a strong squad and we'll go and join up with a spring in our step."

"If we can bring some of the play, the spirit, the determination - whatever it is that's won us the Champions League - into the England team then hopefully that can help this summer."

Cahill echoed Lampard's sentiments and said: "I think it sets us up with confidence because we'll be on a high."

"With three of the Chelsea boys being defenders, knowing each other's game and personality, it hopefully bodes well for us and we'd like to all play a huge part."

"The lads have been to tournaments before. I haven't, so I'm looking very much forward to going, and hopefully we can play a huge part with England."

Scott Parker took part in the opening training session of the Hodgson era.

Tottenham Hotspur's midfielder was troubled by an Achilles problem during the latter part of the domestic season.

But he was able to participate after the squad met up to launch preparations for its Euro 2012 campaign, although the extent of his involvement was not being revealed.

Hodgson has to decide by May 29 whether he thinks Parker is fit enough to play a full part in Poland and Ukraine - the final UEFA deadline for squads to be announced.

Liverpool defender Glen Johnson and Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck sat out the 90-minute closed session in what was described as a precautionary measure.

Hodgson had the chance to address the players at the city centre base before training for the first time since he was appointed as head coach three weeks ago.

The former West Bromwich Albion boss has 19 days and friendly internationals against Norway in Oslo and Belgium at Wembley to hone his plans for the finals.

The Manchester United forward, who is currently recovering from a minor toe problem, must watch from the sidelines as Roy Hodgson's men take on France and then Sweden after being punished for a red card when he kicked Miodrag Dzudovic during a 2-2 draw with Montenegro in October.

While the 26-year-old, who netted 27 English Premier League goals, will return for what could be a crunch showdown with host Ukraine in Donetsk on June 19, Keane believes keeping the player focused will be the biggest battle.

"English and Irish players are the same, I don't think we are good at hanging around hotels and training camps in the middle of nowhere," said former Manchester United captain Keane, who will be at Euro 2012 as part of ITV Sport's media panel.

"I have experienced that myself as a player, at club level as well, when you go away pre-season for a couple of weeks.

"I think the big problem Wayne will have is the boredom, mentally trying to build up for a game, but he will be fresh and will give England something a bit different - unless England win their first two matches I imagine he will be straight into the team."

Keane, 40, was sent home from the 2002 FIFA World Cup after a bust-up with then Ireland manager Mick McCarthy over the training facilities in Saipan, and appreciates just what a goldfish bowl foreign base camps can be.

"As you get older you might be married and have kids, you might appreciate the peace and quiet, but Wayne is still young, he's pretty active, mentally," said Keane.

"Roy Hodgson will have to manage that, get the balance right what he does on the training pitch, he has to keep sharp, but without overdoing it or getting irritated.

"There are plusses and minuses, sometimes players come back fresh, but it is not as if Wayne can feel his way into the tournament, it's 'you have to produce today'. As good as a player he is, that is difficult."

Given the off-field issues which have overshadowed what was a largely positive qualification campaign for England, expectations of success this northern summer are somewhat subdued.

Keane said: "You would expect them to get out of the group, I just don't expect them to win it, despite who the manager might be and I would have been saying that if [Fabio] Capello was still there.

"England have good players, but I expect them to come up short again like they have in the past.

"I am not dismissing England, they could be the surprise package, but I am not expecting too much from them."

Platini told the German Press Agency dpa in an interview at the UEFA headquarters that he is a football official and not a politician and that some of the now critical politicians initially praised UEFA when it awarded the tournament to Poland and Ukraine in 2007.

Several European Union politicians have said that they will not attend games in Ukraine during the event which runs from June 8 until July 1.

Germany captain Philipp Lahm recently called on UEFA to comment on the issue which has made big waves.

But Platini said: "He can say whatever he wants. I don't care. Mr Lahm is not my boss. He has nothing to demand from me. He is captain of the German national team, not the captain of UEFA," Platini said.

"Everyone has to fulfil his duties. I don't do politics, I do football. If I wanted to do politics I would go into politics."

The Frenchman Platini said that he referred concerns over the Tymoshenko issue to the Ukrainian government but that the reaction was predictable.

"The reaction is clear: 'deal with your own matters. This is not your responsibility, this is a matter for the Ukrainian justice authorities,'" Platini said.

Platini reiterated that UEFA will never get directly involved in political and religious issues and said that some politicians were simply implausible.

"Everyone was happy at first with the election of Poland and Ukraine. And what do we do when a government changes? Do we strip them of the tournament for political reasons?" he asked.

"I can show you the reactions when the Euro was given to Poland and Ukraine. Everyone applauded and welcomed the opening towards the east. Those who now want to stay away are the same who said four years ago who great it is that we are opening ourselves towards Poland and Ukraine.

"If they now don't want to come to Ukraine they don't come. If they come they will come. I don't do politics, I do football and organise Euro. It is too late for anything else," the former France captain said.

Platini said he is optimistic that the two nations will organise a good tournament in little over two weeks time after initial setbacks in various areas of the preparations for which they received warnings from UEFA.

"Everything is ready. We no longer see any major problems. The people in Poland and Ukraine want to show that they have organised an outstanding Euro. The tournament is very important for the people in Poland and Ukraine," Platini said.

The Tottenham Hotspur player was troubled by an Achilles problem during the latter part of the domestic season.

But he was able to participate when the squad met up to launch preparations for its Euro 2012 campaign, although the extent of his involvement is not being revealed at this juncture.

Hodgson has to decide whether he thinks Parker is fit enough to play a full part in Poland and Ukraine by May 29 - the final UEFA deadline for squads to be announced.

Liverpool defender Glen Johnson and Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck sat out the 90 minutes closed session in what was described as a precautionary measure.

But both are expected to train later this week before England flies out to Oslo for the friendly international with Norway on Saturday.

Welbeck suffered a bruised leg in United's penultimate English Premier League clash with Swansea two-and-a-half weeks ago.

Hodgson had the chance to address the players at its city centre base before training for the first time since he was appointed as head coach three weeks ago.

The former West Bromwich Albion boss has 19 days and friendly internationals against Norway and Belgium to hone his plans and ideas before the Euro 2012 opener with France on June 11.

The Chelsea contingent of John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill - plus stand-by player Daniel Sturridge - have been given extra time off after the club's UEFA Champions League triumph.

They will not report for duty until next Tuesday while Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is working to the same schedule after playing with a minor injury during the latter part of the campaign.

The Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund midfielders used to play together at 1860 Munich, but since their paths separated, they have never since played in the same team.

That could change this weekend in Basel when the twins are likely to benefit from the lack of Bayern Munich players in the Germany squad at this stage of preparations for Euro 2012, by lining up side by side in Joachim Low's midfield.

Switzerland might complain of double vision, but the pair hopes Low keeps his focus to recognise what they can bring to his squad.

"We will try to recommend ourselves so we both travel to the European Championships," said Lars, who has been capped four times for Germany.

"Everybody here has a chance of going to the tournament and we want to take that."

Sven, who made his debut against Australia, is one of the most likely candidates to be scratched from Low's current 27-man squad when the Germany coach must hand in his 23-man selection to UEFA on May 29.

He said at a press conference today that he would not have any issues about being included if it meant his brother missed out.

"There is a battle for places and nobody is doing anybody any favours, for sure," he said.

"Everybody has the motivation to be included, but we are also fair sportsmen and are all pulling in the same direction."

Whether that direction is towards Poland and Ukraine will not be determined exclusively by the weekend's friendly international, though, according to Lars.

"It is a really important game, but it is only an addition (to training)," he said. "The coach will have already considered things in the many training sessions so far."

"We just have to try and use every training session and every game to recommend ourselves."

While the Benders are likely to start, the inclusion of Miroslav Klose remains in doubt after he was once again unable to train due to a back problem.

That leaves only Cacau as a recognised striker in Low's squad with Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez due to link up with the squad on Sunday and Lukas Podolski preferred out wide on the left.

The 36-year-old is to see a doctor he has used before, and while the Football Association of Ireland insists the trip is "purely precautionary", it is a distraction Trapattoni could have done without less than three weeks before the Euro 2012 finals get under way in Poland and Ukraine.

An FAI spokesman said: "Shay Given will travel to London tomorrow to visit a knee specialist that he has seen in the past. He will return to Portmarnock in the evening.

"This is purely precautionary and Shay remains fine for the Euros."

Given suffered the problem in training at Gannon Park in Malahide earlier this week and had been ordered to rest for two to three days.

Trapattoni had hinted he would not risk him in Saturday's friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Aviva Stadium with Keiren Westwood and David Forde ready to step in, but the 73-year-old will keep his fingers crossed that what his medical staff believe is a minor problem does not develop into something more sinister.

It proved a busy day for the Italian, who less than an hour earlier called up Paul McShane as defensive cover after seeing Sean St Ledger join Richard Dunne and John O'Shea on the sidelines.

A Football Association of Ireland spokesman said: "Paul McShane has been called in as an additional player to the squad to provide extra cover in defence.

"All other players remain in the squad. Paul will join up with the squad in Portmarnock this evening."

McShane, who has 26 senior caps for his country, one of them as captain in the 2-0 friendly victory over Italy last year, was one of five men placed on stand-by when the squad was named earlier this month.

The 26-year-old could well go straight into the team for Saturday's friendly, with three-quarters of Trapattoni's first-choice back four likely to be unavailable and potential full-back cover Kevin Foley battling a hamstring problem.

Asked for an injury update after training in Malahide, assistant manager Marco Tardelli said: "We need one year to speak because we have a problem with John O'Shea, with Dunne, with St Ledger, Foley."

At the time, Tardelli revealed Trapattoni was considering calling up another defender, and the news of McShane's impending arrival was confirmed hours later.

Aston Villa's Dunne reported to the team on Sunday with a lower abdominal micro-tear, while O'Shea has been nursing the ankle injury he aggravated in Sunderland's final game of the season against former club Manchester United.

St Ledger is the latest to join the casualty list with a groin problem, while Foley has been working his way back to fitness since he joined up with the squad.

Tardelli said: "St Ledger has a little soreness in the groin. I think it's possible after Saturday or Sunday that he can play, but it's better we don't take a risk and he rests.

"Richard Dunne has a little problem also in the groin, but I think after two or three days, he will be good.

"Neither John O'Shea nor Richard Dunne will play [against Bosnia] - I think. I am not very sure, but it's possible."

However, the World Cup winner is hopeful that none of the walking wounded are genuine doubts for the finals.

He said: "No. no, I don't think so. After three or four days, they will be ready."

The Republic leaves for its pre-tournament training camp in Montecatini, Italy, on Sunday, and there is a possibility McShane could be added to the travelling party for training purposes.

Tardelli said: "We can't go to the Euros with 24 players, the most is 23. We will decide for this match and maybe for Montecatini, but after we will decide.

"It's possible we could have injuries and it is possible to stay with us."

Despite the injury problems, Trapattoni was once again throwing himself into his job.

His assistant knows the 73-year-old as well as anyone, and he admits he never relaxes.

Tardelli said: "Never, never. He likes football and always watches DVDs, he always speaks with us about football.

"That's normal, that's his life."

Asked if he is the same, Tardelli said with a smile: "Yes, because I stay with Giovanni."

Benfica midfielder Martins, who spent last season on loan at Granada, was last week included in coach Paulo Bento's 23-man for Poland and Ukraine but a leg injury means he will not be available for the tournament.

Taking his place is 29-year-old Braga playmaker Viana, who won the most recent of his 26 caps in 2007.

Portugal is in Group B at the European championships alongside Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, whom it faces in its opening match on 10 June (AEST).

Keane used his newspaper column to question the 26-year-old Spartak Moscow midfielder's form for his country as he prepares for the EURO 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine.

But McGeady said: "Roy Keane? He says enough anyway. I played with him at Celtic and that was bad enough.

"He is just one of those guys who has something to say about everything. I got on with him as a guy, but he is just one of those guys who has an opinion on everything.

"I never saw it, but they [former players] are entitled to their opinion.

"Over the qualifying campaign, I was probably not great in every game, but I know - not being big headed - that I was probably one of the main players.

"When other people talk about the 'final ball', that is their opinion, but who set up more goals than me in the qualifiers?

"Possibly because I don't get one [cross] in every time, I get criticised."

Portugal forward Ronaldo spent six years at Old Trafford and would like to have seen Ferdinand in Ukraine and Poland.

Ronaldo said: "Rio is the best centre-back in England and still one of the best in the world. I don't understand why he is not in the national team.

"Maybe the coach has justifications and we have to respect those. But I have to be honest, I love Rio.

"He's a great player, great man and he should be in the national team because he would help England do well... maybe to win the tournament," Ronaldo told The Sun.

Despite the absence of Ferdinand there is still a good chance of success for England at the tournament, according to Ronaldo.

"I always expect England to win a big tournament," he added.

"England have some of the best players in the world and are always tough opponents for any team.

"I hope England do well in the Euros because I have a lot of friends there. It is a country I like a lot. I expect big things for England, the new coach and the country."

Hodgson has had to wait three weeks since becoming manager to link up with new skipper Steven Gerrard and the majority of the players chosen to play at Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine this northern summer.

The conclusion of the Barclays Premier League season and the need for players to take a short break before preparations begin has delayed Hodgson's involvement with the squad.

It leaves the former West Brom boss just 19 days and two friendly internationals against Norway and Belgium to hone his plans before the Euro 2012 opener with France on June 11.

The players will undergo their first training sessions with Hodgson over coming days before flying out to Oslo for a match with Norway.

It is the first time the squad has been together since the 3-2 defeat by the Netherlands at Wembley in late February - and it will be next week before a full compliment of players is at Hodgson's disposal.

The Chelsea contingent of John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill - plus stand-by player Daniel Sturridge - have been given extra time off after the club's Champions League heroics.

They will not report for duty until next Tuesday ahead of the home clash with Belgium at Wembley on June 2.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is also working to the same schedule after playing with a minor injury during the latter part of the campaign.

But in any case Rooney is suspended for England's opening two Euro games and his first chance to be involved in the tournament will be against Ukraine on June 19.

Hodgson has still to decide whether Rooney will play against Belgium given that he has to make alternative plans against France and then Sweden. Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe and Danny Welbeck are the other striking options in the squad.

The main injury concern of the players reporting tomorrow continues to be Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker.

Parker, who skippered his country against the Netherlands, was troubled by an Achilles injury during the latter part of the domestic campaign and he will be assessed by the England medical team.

Hodgson was optimistic about his chances when he announced his squad a week ago but will not make a final decision until May 29 - the date the final Euro squad needs to be submitted.

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson is on stand-by should Parker be ruled out.

Ex-Manchester United defender Neville has become part of Hodgson's backroom staff ahead of Euro 2012, penning a four-year deal.

The 37-year-old, capped 85 times for England, became the Manchester United skipper after Keane's departure from Old Trafford in 2005, going on to lift the Premier League twice.

Neville has divided opinion in his role as media pundit for Sky Sports, drawing criticism for some forthright views - including claiming Chelsea defender David Luiz had played like he was controlled by "a 10-year-old on a PlayStation".

Keane, 40, feels his old team-mate will take to a coaching role, but on very much of a steep learning curve.

"It is important you are yourself. Gary can talk, but don't think for one minute he was as influential in the dressing room as people might think he was," said former Republic of Ireland midfielder Keane, who will be part of ITV Sport's media team at Euro 2012.

"Gary would say his piece, but he wasn't running the show far, from it so don't think for one minute he will be going into England and calling the shots.

"He will be learning his trade and being a link between the manager and the players and I think he will be good at that."

Keane added: "It is a good appointment, but let's see how it pans out.

"Just like with anyone who is appointed to any job, only time will tell.

"He has not done any coaching before, I know he has done his coaching qualifications, but sitting in a studio talking about teams is very different. "There is no point building them up too much and there is no point knocking them either. Give the man a chance."

Keane believes Neville could find it difficult juggling roles on and off the pitch.

"I am surprised he has kept his role with doing TV, that can be difficult," said the former Sunderland and Ipswich manager.

"You can get your way around criticising players by saying: 'I would expect the player to do better'.

"He probably won't be as critical as me and speak in the terms I do. I know Gareth does it, but he's not on the dressing room, he's not on the training pitch, he's not working with the players.

"Hopefully he will do well. Gary is a decent guy and he has played at a decent level, but that doesn't guarantee you success."

Former England midfielder Gareth Southgate will also be on the ITV panel at Euro 2012.

The 41-year-old is currently the Football Association's head of elite development, working alongside Sir Trevor Brooking at the new St George's Park hub.

Southgate, who had a spell as Middlesbrough manager from 2006 to 2009, believes a delicate balance between criticism and analysis is needed when working in the media.

He said: "You are conscious that people would like to see you fall over so you've got a responsibility whenever you talk on television. It is easy to have an opinion without responsibility.

"It is similar to coaching. When mistakes happen you'd call your players in talk through it and highlight what went wrong. You wouldn't necessarily crucify them for doing that.

"You are trying to explain what has happened and how you could improve and what they could do differently and try to keep their confidence at the same time."

Southgate - who famously missed a penalty in the Euro '96 shoot-out defeat to Germany at Wembley - added: "I don't find it a problem, if ITV wanted someone to come on and did a hatchet job on people then fine, but there is no point in bringing in me.

"I know how hard it is to play and especially how hard it is to manage."

The 30-year-old - scorer of 51 goals in 82 internationals - had been a major doubt since breaking his tibia at last December's World Club Championship.

However, the Barcelona star was given time by national coach Vicente del Bosque to prove his fitness but time finally ran out on Tuesday as the defending European champion arrived at its training camp in Austria.

"David Villa cannot definitely be on the list for Euro 2012," read a statement on the Spanish Football Federation's website.

"Villa spoke with the national team doctor this afternoon after the arrival of the team in the Austrian town of Schruns.

"After not getting in the final practice and development desired, David Villa spoke with del Bosque, who relayed that although it was Villa's wish to be with the team in Poland and Ukraine, that his physical state was 'not as good' as would be desirable."

The 26-year-old Republic of Ireland international joined up with his Euro 2012-bound team-mates having been voted as one of the best 33 players in Russia following his second season at Spartak Moscow.

McGeady has two years of his existing contract remaining, and, while he admits he does not see himself staying beyond the confines of that deal, he is not agitating for a move.

Asked if he thought the chance to play in England would come his way one day, the Glasgow-born winger said: "I am not too sure.

"Eventually, if I stay at Spartak for the next two years and my contract runs out, I would think so, but I am not really thinking about that at the minute.

"I am not thinking about leaving or thinking about upping sticks and getting myself to England or wherever.

"I am quite happy where I am - that's all there is to it.

"I am obviously settled there. I had a few issues a couple of months back, but we had a great end to the season, so I am happy there just now.

"I have still got two years left on my contract. Of course, I still have ambitions to play in England or wherever. I wouldn't want to stay there past my contract."

Speculation mounted over McGeady's future after a temporary loss of form earlier in the season which saw him fall out of favour at Spartak.

Former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill, now at Sunderland, among others has been linked with a move for him, but the midfielder remains relaxed about the situation.

He said: "There's nothing really to deal with. It's just speculation, that's all.

"Until Spartak say to me I am up for sale and a team comes in and puts in a concrete bid for me, there's nothing really to think about.

"Of course, when you get linked with teams, it can be flattering and give you a little boost.

"Obviously, everyone gets excited whenever they see their name linked with some teams, but that's all it is, just speculation.

"Every footballer is the same, I suppose."

McGeady's return to form helped to inspire a strong finish by Spartak, which claimed second place behind champion Zenit St Petersburg and a Champions League berth in the process.

He said: "Basically, I was out of the team for about three or four games round about the start of March, and then I got back in the team and there were no issues with me and the management.

"I ended up playing probably some of the best stuff that I have played at Spartak since I have been there and ended up helping the team to finish in second place ahead of the likes of CSKA [Moscow] and Dinamo Moscow as well, and we got the second Champions League place.

"Everyone was delighted at the end of the season, so there were no problems there at all."

McGeady, of course, enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with Celtic and before heading for eastern Europe, but the one gap in his curriculum vitae is a trip to the finals of a major international competition.

That will be addressed as the Republic heads for Poland and Ukraine with high hopes of upsetting the odds once again.

McGeady said: "When you are a young boy growing up, you want to play at a major finals, a World Cup or a European Championships, and to almost be there, it's a fantastic feeling.

"To be part of the team that qualified and to hopefully be in any team that's going to be playing is something I am really looking forward to.

"We have to have the belief. We don't want to be going there just to make up the numbers.

"It's an absolutely colossal task to qualify, but it's not without our means, I don't think.

"We definitely have the squad and the players that could come second [in the group].

"I am not going to say we are going to finish first and absolutely wipe the floor with every team, but anything can happen in football.

"We are going there and we are going to give ourselves every chance we can to qualify."

Skipper Robbie Keane trained fully at Gannon Park in Malahide 24 hours after his arrival from Los Angeles to confirm his recovery from a hamstring strain.

He was joined by Shane Long, Jon Walters and Keith Andrews, who did not complete the morning session with minor niggles.

Keith Fahey, who has been nursing a groin problem, is progressing and is expected to be fit for the weekend, while a decision on Kevin Foley (hamstring) will be taken later in the week.

Goalkeeper Shay Given, who had a scan on a knee injury, will not take part in the side's next session, nor will defender Richard Dunne, who has a micro-tear in his lower abdominal wall.

John O'Shea, who has been all but ruled out of the Bosnia game, is also unlikely to train, but like Dunne, is expected to be fit for the finals.

Given was sent for a scan on a knee injury he picked up in training, and a Football Association of Ireland spokesman confirmed: "After undergoing a scan, it was concluded that Shay should sit out training for the next two to three days for precautionary measures.''

Trapattoni later suggested the 36-year-old Aston Villa keeper is his biggest concern ahead of Euro 2012 - which for the Republic kicks off against Croatia on June 10 - and hinted that either Sunderland's Keiren Westwood or David Forde of Millwall could play in Saturday's friendly against Bosnia.

He said: "There is only Shay Given, who has a little bit of a problem. We have to decide run the risk or stay. We have another two [keepers].

"For this game, we will decide with the doctor because at this moment, we don't need to run the risk.''

Of Sunderland defender O'Shea, the FAI spokesman added: "Giovanni Trapattoni has also decided that John O'Shea may not partake in Saturday's game against Bosnia for precautionary measures, but has confirmed that John will be fit in time for Euro 2012.

"John is undergoing rehabilitative treatment this week on his ankle.''

Russia has inked in a handful of friendlies as it hones its skills for the European championship, which kicks off in Poland on June 8.

The Lithuania match comes four days after a game with Uruguay in Moscow and three before a meeting with fellow-qualifier Italy in Zurich.

Lithuania failed to make it to Euro 2012, finishing second from bottom in Group I, ahead of minnow Liechtenstein but behind Scotland and qualifiers the Czech Republic and Spain.

Tuesday's call-up also applies to the June 1-3 Baltic Cup between Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, in Estonia, and to a friendly against Belarus on June 7 in Minsk.

Germany coach Joachim Low has included eight Bayern players in his provisional squad for Euro 2012, the majority of whom are training in the south of France, but they will not be put under pressure to arrive before the weekend as initially planned.

"The tendency is now going towards varying things a little to give them a bit of breathing space," the national team's general manager Oliver Bierhoff said.

"But they should all be here by Saturday or Sunday at the latest."

Bierhoff says he will leave the decision to the players individually when they feel ready to put the Champions League behind them and turn their attention to Euro 2012.

Germany coach Joachim Low has included eight Bayern players in his provisional squad for Euro 2012, the majority of whom are training in the south of France, but they will not be put under pressure to arrive before the weekend as initially planned.

"The tendency is now going towards varying things a little to give them a bit of breathing space," the national team's general manager Oliver Bierhoff said.

"But they should all be here by Saturday or Sunday at the latest."

Bierhoff says he will leave the decision to the players individually when they feel ready to put the Champions League behind them and turn their attention to Euro 2012.

However, he does not expect any of them to have fully come to terms with finishing as runners-up in three competitions this season ahead of Friday's friendly match against Basle.

"There probably won't be any Bayern player in Basle," he said in Kicker magazine.

"The players who have already been in our training camp should be given a chance there."

Blanc is adamant he's not concerned by the minor ankle injury Ribery picked up in Bayern's UEFA Champions League final loss to Chelsea, with the midfielder expected to play a friendly for his club against the Netherlands.

The France coach said Ribery suffered a blow to the ankle but the problem was not muscular nor was it a sprain.

He added that Chelsea winger Florent Malouda would join the squad later in the week.

"Flo (Malouda) will join us on the 24th like the players competing in Ligue 1 and Franck is still involved with his club the evening of the 22th and will join us the 26th at Valenciennes."

"There was a lot of disappointment for Franck, which is logical. We're going to have players in diametrically opposed states of mind."

Blanc said he was still not sure whether Ribery would play the first friendly match against Iceland in Valenciennes on 27 May.

"We'll see what condition he joins us in," said Blanc.

"I imagine he has found it hard to get over this defeat."

"If he joins us on the 26th, it could be that he will not be involved in this match (Iceland). Who knows. We'll see in what condition we get him."

Balotelli has been included in Italy's provisional 32-man squad for the European Championship and joined his team-mates at the Azzurri's training ground near Florence.

Prandelli said the tournament is "an extraordinary chance" for Balotelli "to make people talk about him only for what he does on the pitch".

Prandelli, who introduced a code of ethics when he became coach after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, left Balotelli out of the squad for a friendly against the United States in February, after the player received a four-match suspension in January for his stamp on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Scott Parker.

The duo, who on Saturday helped Chelsea win the European Cup for the first time in its history, were initially absent from Vicente Del Bosque's 21-man squad along with players from Copa del Rey finalists Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao due to their club commitments.

However, the two forwards were called up by Del Bosque.

A statement on the RFEF website read: "The national team coach, Vicente Del Bosque, has called up the Chelsea players Fernando Torres and Juan Mata. Both internationals will be join the squad on May 25 in St Gallen."

The 31-year-old Arsenal midfielder - who has scored 20 times in 85 games for the Czechs since making his debut in 2000 - said he would be seeing a doctor before rejoining the squad at its training camp in Austria.

"The muscle is not torn but it is necessary for me to consult a doctor," said Rosicky, who first shone in the Czech side that reached the 2004 semi-finals.

"After that all being well I will rejoin the squad."

Coach Michal Bilek has taken the precaution of calling up Viktoria Plzen's young midfielder Vladimir Darida.

"For the moment there is no great panic as regards the fitness of Rosicky," said Bilek.

"But if towards the end of the week Tomas is still not 100 per cent ready then Darida will be selected for the Euro, at the expense of an already selected player."

The Czechs are in Group A and begin their campaign against Russia on 8 June.

That's followed by a clash with 2004 champion Greece - which eliminated them in the 2004 semi-finals - on 12 June and they'll round off their group fixtures against co-host Poland on 16 June.

Before leaving for Poland the Czechs have two warm-up games, against Israel on 26 May in Hartberg, Austria, and against Hungary on 1 June in Prague.

"Berezutsky is going to leave the Russian team," Advocaat has told the gazeta.ru website after the country's first training session in Moscow.

"He won't recover from an injury," the Dutchman said. "We have taken this decision together with Vassily."

The 29-year-old, whose identical twin brother Alexei also plays for the national team, confirmed his absence to Sport Express.

"Unfortunately the situation was worse than expected," he told the daily sports newspaper.

"Today, I tried to do running exercises and I felt pain and great discomfort, which indicates the injury has not yet healed.

"By all accounts, my recovery program, which forecasted my return to the team for 26-27 May, was too optimistic," Berezutsky said.

Russia, which lines up alongside co-host Poland, 2004 champion Greece and Czech Republic in Group A, will be hoping to repeat its success from 2008, where it reached the semi-finals before falling to eventual champion Spain.

Ireland has been pitched into battle with world and European champion Spain, Trapattoni's native Italy and Croatia in Group C and faces a real scrap to make it to the quarter-final stage.

But having seen Chelsea defy the odds to beat Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League final having already disposed of the mighty Barcelona in the last four, Trapattoni insists the Republic should fear no-one.

He said: "I think we can have confidence. The opponents, we know - Spain, Italy, the same Croatia - are strong.

"But I said also to the players, the example is like yesterday when Chelsea beat Bayern when Bayern were favourites. That is very important."

But asked if his team would attempt to set up like Chelsea to frustrate its opponents, the 73-year-old added: "We have other players, another attitude.

"It's not possible to choose a system or attitude. We have confidence about our mentality, our attitude - with this, we have achieved good results.

"I will say to the players we have to do what we have done until now."

Trapattoni has indicated all along that he will largely rely upon the men who took Ireland to the finals in Poland and Ukraine when they get there, although Sunderland winger James McClean has done everything he can to give the manager something to think about.

Trapattoni admits the 23-year-old, who only won his first senior cap as a substitute against Czech Republic in February, has already made an impression.

Asked how McClean, who arrived last Thursday, had fitted in, the Italian said: "Very well, with confidence. He's like one of the senior players. Very well."

The former West Bromwich Albion manager attracted a lot of criticism for leaving out defender Ferdinand, who has been in fine form for Manchester United this season.

Although the 33-year-old has been struggling with a long-standing back problem, Hodgson confirmed his decision was based purely on footballing reasons.

"Any decision you make as an England national team manager is a difficult one," Hodgson told Sky Sports News.

"There's so many good players out there so every time you turn your back on someone and give someone else a chance, you're opening yourself up to criticism that that person would be every bit as good as the one you've chosen."

One player who has been selected for England in Poland and Ukraine, however, is Cahill, who was one of Chelsea's star men as it produced a magnificent rearguard action to repel Bayern Munich's attackers before eventually triumphing on penalties at the Fussball Arena.

Hodgson believes the former Bolton Wanderers defender has a bright future and hopes he can form a centre-half partnership with John Terry at Chelsea that could benefit England.

"Gary Cahill is a lot younger, he's got a good future ahead of him and if he can bed in to the Chelsea team alongside John Terry, it'll help the partnership if they find themselves together with England," Hodgson said.

"Having picked the England team, we'll have to see if they find themselves together or not."

Hodgson also attracted attention after speaking with England predecessor Fabio Capello in Munich.

He welcomed the Italian sharing some useful advice.

"Fabio and I have been friends for a long time," Hodgson added. "We've known each other for a long time, we've worked together in Italy - or worked against each other in Italy - so it's always nice to meet him again.

"And of course it's very interesting to meet him at the moment and to hear some of his opinions. He's been very helpful, very forthright and very generous with his time."

Hodgson has played no part in deciding England should be based in Krakow for the duration of the tournament, even though all its group matches are in the Ukraine.

Had he been given more time, the 64-year-old may have come up with a different solution, having already scrapped the planned training camp in Spain, which was another idea initially put forward by Fabio Capello, then "tweaked" by Stuart Pearce.

However, past experience with Switzerland suggests Hodgson prefers the city centre location England now has compared to the remote base in Rustenburg during the last FIFA World Cup in South Africa, which many players felt was like a prison camp.

The by-product of that is England always being on view and if anyone steps out of line, it will almost certainly be spotted.

Given the scrapes England's rugby players got into during the last World Cup in New Zealand, there is an obvious fear of negative headlines.

The FA will hand out a working document "for guidance", said a senior Club England source, but Hodgson is willing to treat his squad like adults and believes they should behave appropriately.

"We aren't back at school," he said.

"These are people who have an incredible public profile and know every time they step outside their front door the eyes of the world are on them.

"There are mobile phones with cameras everywhere these days. You can't escape them.

"But the players are fully aware of their responsibilities.

"My message to them is a very simple one. Not only do I expect them to behave as adults, I am going to demand it.

"Every time they are in a public place they should be aware of the fact that if they do anything they shouldn't they are not only letting themselves down, they are letting us all down because the criticism will pile upon us all.

"It's a big responsibility but if there is anyone here who can't take that responsibility they aren't going to play a big part in my thinking in the future."

Hodgson views Rooney as an essential part of his plans in Poland and Ukraine this northern summer, despite the 26-year-old being suspended for the first two group games.

So desperate is the new England boss to have his best player fresh for the encounter with Ukraine in Donetsk on 20 June (AEST) that he told Rooney not to report for next Sunday's friendly with Norway in Oslo.

Rooney was offered a further break ahead of the Wembley encounter with Belgium on 3 June in a bid to ensure he was fully recovered after an arduous domestic campaign, but Rooney was not interested and will report for duty on 30 May.

"Wayne has been playing with a minor injury for the last three or four games which needed a couple of weeks to clear up," said Hodgson.

"He won't be involved in the Norway game and I don't know whether I will select him for Belgium at this stage.

"I offered him a couple more days' rest but he was adamant he wanted to be part of it when we meet up for the Belgium game.

"The fitness side doesn't bother me. If he needs a bit of topping up we will do that. But his enthusiasm for the task was fantastic."

Rooney will not be accompanied by United team-mate Paul Scholes this summer because Hodgson decided there was not the "void" in his squad that would have demanded the 37-year-old's selection.

Instead, with fitness doubts hanging over Scott Parker, he will look once more at a potential midfield partnership of Frank Lampard and new skipper Steven Gerrard.

It has never worked before and Hodgson accepts he may not come up with a different conclusion.

However, after speaking with a number of senior players, he senses a deep desire to make the whole thing work, especially Gerrard, who so often has failed to match his inspirational performances for Liverpool on an international stage.

"That is probably because a lot of recent England performances have not hit the heights as far as the media and general public are concerned," said Hodgson.

"I know Steven is burning to bring the qualities he has got to England. He has made that perfectly clear to me.

"I have been buoyed by some of the conversations I have had.

"You never know when you speak to players who have not always had the best of times and taken a lot of criticism for their performances.

"I wasn't certain I was going to get that enthusiasm - 'pick me, I want to play, give me that shirt, please don't take it from me'."

For all the cuddly image of Hodgson, he has made some pretty significant calls during his first full week in charge.

Clearly, Rio Ferdinand and, to a lesser extent, Micah Richards, Peter Crouch and Michael Carrick have suffered, in addition to Stuart Pearce's self-proclaimed abilities as an organiser.

Hodgson is making his mark though. And, quite possibly, none of his decisions will be as significant as the appointment of Gary Neville to his coaching team, the first that goes beyond Euro 2012.

Concern has been expressed, both about Neville's existing media work, which will continue, and his tendency to be outspoken on certain issues.

Hodgson does not see a problem.

"Gary's views and ideas are of great interest to me," he said.

"I wanted Ray Lewington alongside me because he's a man I trust and whose coaching ability I have enormous respect for.

"But I wanted someone like Gary Neville as well - a younger guy with international and tournament experience and someone the players will listen to.

"I have been extremely impressed by the way Gary has handled himself on TV and the fact that he can watch a game of football and he can see what is going on.

"I spoke to Alex Ferguson, who told me he is a straight and loyal person with good ideas and is not afraid to tell you.

"I couldn't have asked for a more enthusiastic person and I'm looking forward to getting to know him better because I can't say I know him that well at the moment."

A report in Ireland revealed the 31-year-old was nursing a hamstring strain and there were fears he may not have been able to train with Giovanni Trapattoni's squad in Malahide.

However, a scan has revealed there is no tear and it is hoped the country's 53-goal record scorer will be able to go through his paces at Gannon Park before the squad heads off for its Italian training camp in Montecatini next weekend.

A Football Association of Ireland spokesman said: "Robbie Keane's scan result came through today and showed all clear with no sign of any tear or blood.

"He will be assessed when he comes in and should be fine."

LA Galaxy striker Keane is due to meet up with his Barclays Premier League-based colleagues on Monday as Trapattoni and his coaching staff begin their preparations in earnest.

The striker, who will join Arsenal in the summer, was part of the Germany sides which missed out on titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and he now will not settle merely for a place in the final.

"Only the title counts, nothing else," he said.

"In recent years, we have always said that the semi-finals would be a success, but I think we can say we are ready to challenge for the title ahead of these finals."

The 26-year-old is keen to put a disappointing season behind him with a successful summer with the national team, with whom he has always managed to show the best of himself.

Despite being relegated with Cologne, Podolski will go into the tournament with optimism, claiming that such an approach gives them more chance of prevailing.

"If you can say in advance that you want to challenge for the title, then it can give you an extra boost in the end," he told the Kolner Stadt Anzeiger newspaper at the end of a week-long training camp with the national team in Sardinia.

The 2011-12 season was without doubt the finest of the Dutchman's career, as he scored 30 goals for Arsenal to finish as top scorer in the Premier League, earning himself multiple recognition at the end-of-season award ceremonies.

After making only 25 league appearances in the previous season, van Persie played in every game of Arsenal's most recent campaign, suggesting that the injuries that stunted his progress in the past are now behind him.

With 37 goals in all competitions, the 28-year-old placed himself in the company of Europe's most prolific goalscorers.

His next assignment is to leave a mark at Euro 2012.

Van Persie was a member of the Dutch side that reached the final at the last World Cup in 2010 but he scored just one goal en route and failed to make a lasting impression on the tournament.

His agitation was, at times, plain to see, such as when he reacted angrily to being substituted by coach Bert van Marwijk after another goalless showing in the last-16 success against Slovakia.

He was a member of the Dutch squad at both the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 but in both tournaments he was used mainly as an impact player.

Now, though, he is one of the most feared forwards in the game and will spearhead the 4-2-3-1 formation introduced by Marco van Basten and kept in place by his successor van Marwijk.

With his intuitive movement, deft footwork and precise shooting, van Persie is an untypical striker but Arsenal's third-place Premier League finish owed much to the club captain's unerring eye for goal.

"He is like Lionel Messi in the positional sense," says Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger. "He doesn't play like a real centre-forward but if you look at his movement, he is very intelligent because of his diagonal runs.

"And his first touch is so good that in tight spaces he can make a difference, also because he has a very short back-lift for a big guy."

For all his fine form, van Persie's place in the Dutch starting XI is not as secure as it might appear. He may have bagged six goals in qualifying but Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored 12 and the Schalke striker also netted 29 goals in the Bundesliga to claim Germany's version of the golden boot.

The two players were occasionally deployed alongside each other in qualifying but that obliged van Persie to play in a right-wing or support-striker position that he has not adopted for Arsenal for some years.

Given the strength of Holland's group, however, van Marwijk is likely to err on the side of caution, which should mean van Persie starting on his own up front against Denmark, Germany and Portugal in Group B.

The Netherlands have regularly been cited among the favourites in the build-up to the competition but how far they go may well depend on how quickly van Persie can adapt to the unique demands of tournament football.

Fall short again and Huntelaar is waiting.

The 21-year-old plays alongside Rooney at club level and is one option to replace the former Everton man as he serves a suspension for the first two games of the tournament.

Welbeck told The Sun: "I owe Wayne a lot. He has been a terrific friend and a brilliant help to me. We have really forged a great partnership.

"And he is amazing during a game. He never stops yapping in my ear, telling me, 'Daniel this' and 'Daniel that'.

"Wayne's funny like that, he calls me Daniel on the pitch, even though most people call me Danny. Yet off the pitch it's Danny or Welbz. Don't ask me why.

"I'm so lucky he wants me to do well and is always trying to advise what's best for me.

"You can't buy that sort of insight. He knows what it's like as a young player coming through in the Premier League and with England."

Welbeck revealed United team-mate Rio Ferdinand, who was left out of Roy Hodgson's squad, contacted the striker to congratulate him on his inclusion.

Welbeck said: "He made the effort to get in touch which I think tells you all about the man.

"He was obviously gutted not to be a part of it and must have been really down. But he still took the time to contact me and say 'Well done'.

"I'm really disappointed for him."

Lineker, who scored 48 goals for England, does not see Roy Hodgson's men as being among the favourites in Ukraine and Poland.

In a Reader's Digest interview quoted in the Daily Star, Lineker, 51, said: "It might make a pleasant change that our expectations for the team are rather low this year.

"But I reckon we'll end up disappointed as usual."

Lineker expects British athletes to impress at the Olympics, though.

He added: "As England invariably let you down it's great to have the Games to look forward to.

"They're an amazing showpiece for the nation and we're really good at putting on a spectacle.

"Also, the host country tends to up its game, so I think we'll break all our records and win a lot of medals."

Lineker took exception to the way the interview was presented in a national newspaper, with the headline: "Lineker: England team are losers".

The former Everton and Tottenham striker tweeted: "If anyone has a recording of me uttering the words 'England team are losers' I'll resign."

The defender, who played in Spain's Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010-winning sides, is expected to be out for up to six weeks after having surgery on an injured right knee.

Del Bosque previously said he was hopeful Puyol would make it to Poland and Ukraine but indicated to the Spanish newspaper Marca that his chances are fading.

"It would be a miraculous recovery," he was quoted as saying.

Fellow fitness doubt for the tournament David Villa, who is battling back to form after breaking his left tibia in December, could still make the squad, Del Bosque suggested.

But even if the Barca striker were ruled out, Spain still had options.

"Villa doesn't have to play competitive football before being able to go to the Euro," Del Bosque stressed.

"But what's good on the other hand is that he feels well... I've always said that if he feels right, he'll come," the coach added, saying he had "a good feeling" about the championships.

The Portuguese coach named his 25-man roster before travelling to a training camp in Austria.

Santos named veteran strikers and several young players on the squad, including Bundesliga players Costas Fortounis, 19, and Kyriakos Papadopoulos, 20, as well as Greece-based Yiannis Fetfatzidis, 21, and Sotiris Ninis, 22.

"I'm counting on (Ninis) up front. He's an attack-minded player and has skills that others lack," Santos told a news conference.

"We can play him on the left and right, he's good one-on-one with opponents, and he's versatile."

Santos omitted seasoned Panathinaikos defenders Nikos Spyropoulos and Loukas Vyntra from the squad.

Greece will play Armenia and Slovenia in friendly matches this month before taking on co-host Poland, Russia and Czech Republic in Group A at the European championship in June.

Greece topped its qualifying group unbeaten, winning seven of its 10 matches and pushing Croatia to the playoffs.

Thirty-six-year-old striker Nikos Lymberopoulos of AEK Athens is in the squad after scoring seven league goals. Lymberopoulos is joined by 31-year-old Theofanis Gekas, who has played for Turkish club Samsunspor this season.

Celtic striker Georgios Samaras also kept his place on the national squad despite scoring just one goal in eight qualifying appearances.

"I tried to strike a balance," Santos said. "I had trouble with selecting the goalkeepers and a few other positions.

"In some cases, it was down to how well they know the national team. "

Two of the players will be dropped when the final squad is announced and Santos said he'll make the decision on who to leave behind after the Austria camp.

"Obviously that will be difficult. But I am paid to make difficult decisions," he said.

Greece preliminary squad is:

Goalkeepers: Michalis Sifakis (Aris), Kostas Chalkias (PAOK), Alexandros Tzorvas (Palermo).

Defenders: Vassilis Torossidis (Olympiacos), Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Schalke), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Werder Bremen), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiacos), Jose Holebas (Olympiacos), Giorgos Tzavellas (Monaco), Stelios Malezas (PAOK).

Midfielders: Kostas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos), Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Giannis Maniatis (Olympiacos), Giorgos Fotakis (PAOK), Grigoris Makos (AEK), Giannis Fetfatzidis (Olympiacos), Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos), Alexandros Tziolis (Monaco), Kostas Fortounis (Kaiserslautern), Panagiotis Kone (Bologna).

Forwards: Dimitris Salpingidis (PAOK), Giorgos Samaras (Celtic), Theofanis Gekas (Samsunspor), Nikos Liberopoulos (AEK), Kostas Mitroglou (Atromitos).

The 34-year-old defender - an integral part of the Spanish sides that won the Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup titles - underwent surgery on his right knee last weekend and was expected to be ruled out for six weeks.

"Puyol still has a chance of going to the Euro. It's difficult but we'll know on May 27 if he'll travel or not with us," said Del Bosque.

Despite Barca insisting that Puyol would not be fit to line out with the European and world champions, the speed with which the 99-times capped international started exercising after his operation has led to speculation he could make it.

Barca striker David Villa is also in a race for fitness after fracturing his left tibia last December.

The team will wear black armbands while playing Italy on June 18 – exactly 18 years since the Loughinisland massacre during the World Cup in the United States in 1994.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirmed European football chiefs gave the go-ahead for the remembrance as the team takes on Italy, a repeat of the match the victims were watching.

Niall Murphy, solicitor for the families, said the relatives were moved by the honour.

"The families are touched that this tragic event can be commemorated on such a poignant day, the 18th anniversary of the atrocity," he said.

"We would like to thank the FAI and UEFA for their assistance in providing a forum to recall the awful event that took place on that fateful day when Ireland played Italy."

Six Catholic men were shot dead when Ulster Volunteer Force killers opened fire indiscriminately inside the Heights bar in Loughinisland, County Down.

The Republic defeated Italy 1-0 that night in the Giants Stadium in New York.

Among those who died in the attack was Barney Green, aged 87, the oldest victim of the Troubles. Five other men were seriously wounded.

No one has been convicted of the murders, although 16 people have been arrested over the years.

UEFA granted permission for the commemoration after the FAI approached it on behalf of the families of the bereaved.

John Delaney, FAI chief executive, said the commemoration is particularly poignant as the Republic will be playing Italy in a major tournament.

"What happened in Loughinisland in 1994 was an awful tragedy and deeply moving for all football fans. I would like to thank UEFA for assisting us in commemorating this atrocity and take the opportunity to remember all those who lost their lives in the Troubles," he said.

The Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman last year found insufficient evidence of collusion between police and the loyalist gang in connection with the atrocity and subsequent investigation but he did identify police failings over the disposal of the getaway car and the loss of some evidence.

Roy Hodgson exuded confidence about his England team when he named a 23-man party for Euro 2012 at Wembley, yet he knows expectation levels are at an all-time low after a period of turmoil within the national squad.

Hodgson will head in to the tournament with three weeks' worth of experience as England coach, he will be without the suspended Wayne Rooney for the opening two group games, and there has been widespread debate about John Terry's inclusion.

Such circumstances have led to an air of pessimism around the England camp but Barry, who was one of four Manchester City players included by Hodgson, thinks that could help ease the pressure on a team looking to end the nation's 46-year wait for a trophy.

"The expectation levels are a lot lower than for previous tournaments, which hopefully can help the team," said Barry, who revealed he heard of his inclusion while playing golf in Spain.

"There's a new manager and it's nice to be in his plans to start with. You should never take too much for granted, especially with a new manager and fresh ideas so we were very happy to be included," he added.

"I've not met the manager before. I'm looking forward to doing that and seeing his ideas and working alongside him and we will learn more in the next few weeks."

England is a big outsider to win its first international tournament since 1966 and the squad announcement at Wembley was a relatively low-key affair.

Barry knows what it is like to win a major trophy having clinched the English Premier League after a dramatic injury-time winner from Sergio Aguero helped City lift its first title since 1968.

Winning the championship under those circumstances could be construed as fortuitous, but Barry thinks otherwise.

"If you look back over the 38 games we played the best football," the former Aston Villa man said.

"We're slowly coming down to earth after some big celebrations. It's still not really sunk in the fashion we won the title. "The manner we did it won't be beaten for a long time. It will go down in history as a dramatic finish and it will be tough to beat."

Together with Norwich keeper John Ruddy, the Arsenal teenager represents Hodgson's stamp of authority on his Euro 2012 squad.

Yet Oxlade-Chamberlain's presence merely evokes memories of how Sven-Goran Eriksson handled Theo Walcott in 2006, when he selected the then 17-year-old for the FIFA World Cup in Germany, and then ignored him completely.

"I wouldn't have chosen him if I didn't think he was ready to start games," said Hodgson.

"I can't guarantee (he'll play). I'm pretty sure Sven selected Walcott for the right reasons as well but, when push came to shove, he wasn't quite up to it in training.

"I'm expecting Alex will be able to deal with that situation.

"He is a precocious talent, who has a maturity beyond his years.

"It won't be easy for him to break into the team but the only way I'll find out is to sling him in at the deep end.

"Even if he doesn't swim now, he'll learn to swim in the future."

If Hodgson is taking a calculated gamble with Oxlade-Chamberlain, he has invested plenty of trust in Liverpool's Andy Carroll.

The suspension that rules star man Wayne Rooney out for the first two group games places more emphasis on the striking department.

Carroll is the only target man remaining in a group that also consists of Jermain Defoe, who has not started for England since September 2010 and Danny Welbeck, currently nursing an ankle injury.

Fabio Capello aired his concerns about Carroll's off-field behaviour and as the 23-year-old laboured through the majority of the season he seemed to have no chance of getting to Poland and Ukraine.

However, the burst of improved form he went on from the middle of April, including giving John Terry a torrid time during two high-profile encounters, changed a few minds.

"I'm not selecting players on the basis of them having one great game," said Hodgson.

"I've been in the game long enough not to fall for that trick.

"Andy Carroll balances up the other type of forwards we have and gives me other options because of his target play and ability.

"It's a profile issue. But it would be fair to say his late burst has given him the nod."

Hodgson did need to speak with Kenny Dalglish though.

And one of the Scot's last tasks as Liverpool manager was to reassure his England counterpart about Carroll's off-field behaviour.

"The conversation with Kenny put my mind to rest with regards to the criticism he's faced for extra-footballing activities," he said.

"That was very important for me."

Much of Hodgson's squad had already made its way into the public domain.

The omissions of Peter Crouch and Micah Richards had been widely reported, the latter man missing out due to the involvement of Phil Jones and Glen Johnson, one of only two players in the squad - new skipper Steven Gerrard is the other - that Hodgson has previously worked with.

Their relationship has not always been smooth.

The full-back got particularly agitated about his one-time manager's public admission that he was not playing particularly well, arguing the observation should have been delivered in private.

"It was a question I answered honestly, but rather unwisely, which gave the appropriate headline," he said.

"Glen was upset that I hadn't protected him more.

"But I don't think that's affected my relationship with him.

"I'm hoping that, when he plays for England, the last thing on his mind is a headline from two years ago."

Hodgson confirmed that Michael Carrick had been overlooked because the Manchester United midfielder had expressed a desire to remain at home, still scarred by his treatment at the World Cup, when he failed to feature for a single minute.

That does not amount to a retirement, although, with the likes of Jack Wilshere and Jack Rodwell set to be available for next season's World Cup qualifiers, it is difficult to see when Carrick's services could be required.

Scott Parker remains a doubt, although Hodgson does expect the injection he had into an Achilles injury on Monday will allow him to take up his place, rather than force a reshuffle that could involve a call-up for Jordan Henderson.

Although Hodgson spoke at various times of being "parachuted in" to the job, he has already made some significant decisions.

Recruiting Gary Neville as part of his coaching team is one, abandoning a planned training camp in Spain next week another.

Instead, with the exception of the Chelsea's UEFA Champions League final-bound players and Wayne Rooney, who have been given additional time off, England's squad will gather in Manchester on Wednesday to begin preparations for the friendly with Norway on May 26.

"I can't deny if I'd been working with this team for two years, I'd feel in a superior position to the one I'm in now," said Hodgson.

"But I'm really excited about the task and the senior players I've spoken to, who have one or two tournaments behind them and one or two disappointments, would tell you we can win it."

The remaining three spots are to be filled by the May 29 deadline as Olsen appears set to use the coming days to study players in training and the final games in the Danish league that ends May 23.

Olsen has yet to select a third goalkeeper to accompany Stoke City's Thomas Sorensen, who has 100 appearances for Denmark, and French side Evian's Stephan Andersen.

At the European championships in Poland and Ukraine from June 8 until July 1, the 1992 champion Denmark faces a tough group featuring the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal.

Before heading to the finals, Denmark has a friendly against Brazil in Hamburg and a home game against Australia.

The defence line-up includes Agger, Roma's Simon Kjaer and Simon Busk Poulsen of Dutch side AZ.

Veteran 114-times capped midfielder Dennis Rommedahl was called up along with Brondby teammate Michael Krohn-Dehli, Christian Eriksen of Ajax Amsterdam, Christian Olsen of Evian and William Kvist of Bundesliga side Stuttgart.

Two midfielders were also due from French side Evian Danish captain Christian Poulsen, and Thomas Kahlenberg, the latter described as an unexpected selection.

There was a wearying inevitability about his selection of the 23 men who will be going to Euro 2012.

But that was not Hodgson's fault. There will be debates, though tepid ones rather than heated, about Rio Ferdinand's exclusion and John Terry's inclusion, and about the blind spot that England coaches seem to have in relation to Micah Richards.

That's because no England manager is ever going to pick a squad that satisfies everyone. In many ways the more worrying element in relation to Hodgson's squad is how few debates his selection will spark.

The reason? The uncomfortable fact that the pool of English talent has been evaporating at an alarming rate in terms of quality over the last 10 years.

Sven-Goran Eriksson must be marvelling at the luck he had. There was such competition for places and apart from Gary Neville, who is now helping make the England choices, every single one of the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad were still playing last season.

Unfortunately for Hodgson, there has been no renewal of the golden generation - this squad is merely plated in silver alloy. The best he could do by way of a surprise was to include Stewart Downing (in the 2006 World Cup squad) and Jermain Defoe (a challenger for Euro 2004).

The arguments over the reasons for such paucity of resources will rage on and on: too many foreign players; clubs intent on buying success rather than growing their own; a natural cycle of events.

But England fans have to face facts.

This is a squad where natural ability is a declining commodity, and for many of the players age is catching up with them.

It does not mean, however, that England is destined for failure in its group at the Euros. If there is one thing at which Hodgson is supremely gifted, it is organising and inspiring average players to perform above their ability.

He will need to do that in Ukraine next month, and he will also need to try to retain a sense of humour.

The press conference to launch his team began with Hodgson appearing calm, with a couple of dry remarks, but within 13 minutes he appeared needled when faced with repeated questions about Ferdinand's exclusion.

"Are we ever going to get off Rio Ferdinand? We seem to be discussing one man until the cows come home," was his tetchy response.

Such has been the build-up to these championships that Hodgson should have been prepared that he was going to be grilled on Ferdinand, Terry and little else.

But his insistence that he had excluded Ferdinand purely on footballing grounds sounded somewhat lame.

Of course, he could hardly say that it would have been impossible to take both Terry and Ferdinand in the same squad, for reasons that are blindingly obvious in connection to Terry's court trial, but the overwhelming suspicion remains that it was one of them or the other.

Hodgson at least made the right call by including Phil Jones, one of the truly top-class English players to emerge in the last four years, though it was slightly worrying that Hodgson suggested it was a straight choice between Jones and Richards.

Elsewhere, it would be wrong to view Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's inclusion in the same light as Sven's dalliance with Theo Walcott six years ago.

The 'Ox' is far more advanced that Walcott was then, and if there is to be one surprise for England's rivals, then Arsenal's 18-year-old midfielder could provide it.

As for the rest, group rival France will no doubt cast a knowing eye over the selection and comment 'plus ca change'.

Terry was selected despite the July court case awaiting him regarding allegations that he racially abused Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, which Terry denies.

Ferdinand's elder brother Rio being left out of the squad will help to avoid any tension that could have stemmed from the pair sharing a dressing room in Poland and Ukraine.

The impending court case also saw Terry stripped of the captaincy by the Football Association, a decision which saw Fabio Capello resign his post and Hodgson eventually succeed him. Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard will now captain England.

Hodgson said: "If we take the court case first of all, that's obviously very unfortunate for him but we must emphasise he is an innocent man until such time as he is proven guilty.

"My decision with John Terry was based purely on footballing matters, I was given a free hand as to the squad I picked.

"I realised that when I selected him there would be people who would raise eyebrows but that's the decision that I've made, that's the decision I shall live with."

He continued: "I selected John Terry for footballing reasons and I left out Rio Ferdinand for footballing reasons.

"I've spoken to both of them of course. I had to do that.

"In the last couple of days I've spoken to both of them and explained to them why I've come to the decision."

The immediate reaction when Roy Hodgson was appointed as Fabio Capello's successor was one of surprise, basically because it was not Harry Redknapp.

That was quickly followed by acceptance. After all, at 64, Hodgson had put together a decent CV, for both club and country, and, with his calm nature, was generally viewed as a safe pair of hands, who would go about his job with quiet diligence without rocking the boat.

So much for that theory.

In the space of a couple of hours, Hodgson has tossed the preconceptions overboard in the same disdainful manner that he abandoned England's pre-tournament training camp in Spain.

This, it should be remembered, was the central part of plans put into place by interim boss Stuart Pearce, the bit he "tweaked" after Fabio Capello's exit.

How ridiculous it appears now that at the beginning of April, Pearce was still being viewed as a temporary coach, at the very least a likely part of the new man's back-up team.

Seems Hodgson was not keen on that idea. He wanted Ray Lewington and Gary Neville instead, even to the extent of ignoring the latter man's media commitments to Sky Sports and the Mail on Sunday, and the fact the former is already employed by Fulham.

On countless occasions, both Pearce and senior figures within the English Football Association had spoken of how all plans were in place, it was just a question of slotting a coach on top.

It didn't take long for Hodgson to work out the plans were a bit rubbish.

That instead of hauling themselves off to Spain for a few days, England's battle-weary players would be better off preparing for their friendly in Norway by spending extra time at home with their families.

Chances are, given the opportunity, Hodgson would also have concluded England's boutique base in Krakow, pleasant though it undoubtedly is, was completely impractical for a team who could win the trophy without once playing in Poland.

England's three group matches are in Donetsk and Kiev, so surely it would have been better to base themselves in the other co-host, even if life in the Ukraine is not always full of luxury.

So, Hodgson had already made some significant decisions even before the make-up of his squad started to leak out.

Axing Rio Ferdinand is the obvious headline news, a move that effectively ends the 33-year-old's international career and means he will never get to grace a European championship.

Various conspiracy theories can be put forward but Hodgson appears to have acted on the sound principle of players needing to be fit to do themselves justice, no matter how much ability they have.

The absence of Micah Richards from the 23-man squad was another big call, especially as Kyle Walker was ruled out with a broken toe.

Yet a picture of Richards is starting to emerge of a player who cannot entirely be trusted defensively.

After all, when Roberto Mancini left him out of Manchester City's key games at the end of the season, it wasn't for a stellar name, like Sergio Aguero or Yaya Toure. It was for utility man Pablo Zabaleta, who duly scored the opening goal of that dramatic win over Queens Park Rangers.

And, whilst Glen Johnson has many critics outside of the confines of a training ground, the list of respected coaches who rate him as clearly the best right-back in the country is growing markedly.

In selecting Johnson's Liverpool team-mate Andy Carroll, Hodgson has given a nod to recent form, at the same time relying largely on the players who steered England through an eight-match qualifying campaign, just as he promised.

Selecting Stewart Downing after a poor season at Liverpool has raised eyebrows but handing the skipper's armband to Steven Gerrard is as many expected.

And there you have it.

Roy Hodgson, if not exactly a ruthless dictator, then secure enough in his own skin to make the big calls.

Handle with care.

As had been widely reported, the Manchester United man's name was missing from Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad when it was unveiled by the Football Association.

Ferdinand's long-time central defensive partner John Terry was included while Wayne Rooney got the nod despite being suspended for England's first two group games.

Hodgson's firm decision about injury-plagued Ferdinand appears to signal the end of his 81-cap England career.

Ferdinand last featured for his country in the EURO 2012 qualifier against Switzerland in June last year, although he was selected for the friendly against Netherlands the following August which was postponed due to the London riots.

England squad for Euro 2012:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Rob Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich).

Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton).

Midfielders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Ashley Young (Man United), James Milner (Man City).

Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Danny Welbeck (Man Utd), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham).

The Dutch, runner-up at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, romped through nine matches with a 100% record, including a record 11-0 victory over San Marino in September when Van Persie helped himself to four goals, as they booked a place at Euro 2012.

The only blemish for Bert van Marwijk's side - who were led by 12 goals from Schalke striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar - was a defeat in the final qualifying match in Sweden, who also went through as best runner-up.

Despite a squad which is littered with talent from across the top European leagues, the Euro 2012 draw was not kind to the Dutch, as they were allotted a place in the 'Group of Death' alongside Denmark, Portugal and old rival Germany.

Arsenal skipper Van Persie feels should Nethrlands go on to emulate the class of 1988 and lift the trophy at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev on July 1, it will be nothing more than well deserved.

"It will be quite tricky because we have a really tough group - the first game against Denmark, then Germany and Portugal," said Van Persie.

"We have to look at it game by game, just give it our all and see what happens.

"You need a bit of luck during the tournament, hopefully we can get that.

"Even after the group stage, we will have a really tough task, because we could meet Italy in the second round, then Spain in the semi-finals if we both win our games.

"So if we win it, then for sure we will really deserve it."

Van Persie added: "Sometimes I think the European Championship is a little bit harder than the World Cup, because you have only quality teams playing there.

"At the World Cup, there is always one team in the group which is a bit of a weaker side and you normally can win, but in the Euros, that is not the case."

Van Marwijk has so far succeeded where past coaches have failed in unifying a supremely talented squad and avoided the in-fighting which has so often disrupted Netherlands at major tournaments.

Indeed, the former Feyenoord boss even took the group away in the middle of the qualification schedule for a whistle-stop tour of South America to play against Brazil and Uruguay, all part of his on-going masterplan to bond the squad together.

"It was a very useful experience," he said. "It was a good test for the players, to prove they were fit to overcome hostile circumstances also.

"We could even have won these two matches and that is a compliment to the players."

The loss of PSV Eindhoven's full-back Erik Pieters because of a foot injury is a blow, while midfielder Ibrahim Afellay has yet to prove his fitness after a season with Barcelona severely disrupted by a knee injury.

Huntelaar has enjoyed a prolific campaign in the Bundesliga, netting 29 goals to help Schalke qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

It is a remarkable return to form for the 28-year-old, labelled a misfit at Real Madrid after his big-money move from Ajax in January 2009 and was soon palmed off to AC Milan.

Huntelaar is fast closing in on Patrick Kluivert's all-time national-team record of 40 goals - his 31st coming at some cost as he was knocked out after a clash of heads with England defender Chris Smalling when scoring a bullet header in the 3-2 win at Wembley on February 29.

Despite suggestions of contrasting styles, Van Marwijk sees no reason why he should not pair both of his prolific frontmen in the same side, with Footballer of the Year Van Persie having plundered 30 goals to fire Arsenal to third place in the English Premier League.

"Of course Huntelaar and Van Persie can play together," Van Marwijk told Voetbal International.

"Robin is an all-round attacker, but he showed he is also a killer in the box. Klaas Jan is a goal-getter and is always getting better with the squad.

"However, I am not sure if they will play together at the Euros."

You suspect that would come as welcome relief to football fans in Copenhagen, Berlin and Lisbon.

The former Fiorentina tactician succeeded World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi after a hugely disappointing first-round exit at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Prandelli's biggest challenge has been to build a younger and less experienced group to replace the Italian old guard and, so far, he has achieved a measure of success.

Italy went unbeaten in the qualifying phase and only conceded two goals, while scoring 20 to finish top of its group.

The Azzurri will again rely on defence, which has traditionally been its strongest weapon, to go far this summer and Prandelli will have at his disposal a defence made up of Juventus champions.

Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon in goal and defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci were lynchpins in a Juve squad that conceded just 20 goals in 38 Serie A games.

The Italians will also depend on the creativity of Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo, who will have club team-mate Claudio Marchisio by his side while Roma's Daniele De Rossi also has a guaranteed a place in the Azzurri's midfield line if fit.

The Italians' dilemma, as always, remains the attack.

Prandelli received good news when AC Milan's Antonio Cassano was made available for selection.

Cassano, who was Italy's top scorer in qualifying with six goals, was out of action for six months after undergoing minor heart surgery. He recently returned to playing.

As Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi is out with a knee injury, it remains to be seen who will partner Cassano up front.

Temperamental Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli remains a gamble for Prandelli. Balotelli, who helped City this season win the Premier League title for the first time in 44 years, was left out of several national team selections for breaching Prandelli's code of conduct for his lack of discipline at club level.

Prandelli has kept his faith in the 21-year-old but has warned everyone he will not tolerate further misbehaviour.

"All the players who will be called up must understand that they don't represent themselves, but a nation," Prandelli said.

"The logic has to be that of the group and the attachment to the shirt.

"Balotelli can't afford to make any more mistakes, but I'm confident that he won't.

"We need to give players with talent an extra chance and there's no doubt that Balotelli has a special talent."

Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale is likely to battle for a starting place.

He was included in Prandelli's preliminary squad after another solid campaign for Udinese.

"He has scored over 100 goals in the last three years and he can be very helpful for us," Prandelli said.

Di Natale, who has not featured for the Azzurri since 2010, scored 23 goals this season to propel Udinese to a third-place finish. He ended, for the second consecutive year, as the leading Italian scorer in Serie A.

Also in consideration is Sebastian Giovinco, who has enjoyed a fine spell since moving to Parma two years ago from Juventus.

The 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength and become one of the most promising strikers in Italy.

The good news for Prandelli is that the players are well rested since the Italian clubs this year have failed to reach the semi-final stages of European club competitions.

It will be a challenge from the start for the Azzurri, who are in Group C with defending European and world champions Spain, plus Croatia and Giovanni Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland.

"We have the time to prepare for our first game against Spain," Prandelli said. "Croatia are a tough team, too, with a very competitive midfield and attack.

"They'll be a hard obstacle to get over.

"Then there is Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland, that we wished we didn't have to face.

"The important thing is that we arrive to the tournament in the best shape and we approach it with the right mentality."

The Italian federation (FIGC) has promised to stick by Prandelli whatever happens this summer, which should bring a level of stability and certainty to proceedings.

"Prandelli's continuation is not dependent on the outcome of the European Championship,'' FIGC president Giancarlo Abete said.

Prandelli is realistic, however, and believes a poor showing could still lead to his exit.

"I have a contract with the national team until 2014 and I want to respect it," he said.

"But I will be tested for results at the Euros just like every other coach."

No nation has ever won successive European Championships, while you have to go back to 1992 for the last time the holders even managed to make the semi-finals of the following tournament.

On top of that, only France has ever won the Euros whilst being the reigning world champion – something Spain, of course, currently is.

That does not bode well for Vicente Del Bosque's men, and could suggest Spain's time as top dog is coming to an end.

However, this is not a team that appears constrained by history – it has been far too busy making it to worry about that.

The statistics Spain's "golden generation" are wracking up are simply breathtaking.

Since ending 44 trophyless years with its success at Euro 2008, Spain has won 44 of its 52 matches up until this April, and of the eight games it did not win, six were friendlies.

Also in the last six years, "La Furia Roja" has set an unprecedented 15-game international winning streak, matched Brazil's world record of going 35 matches unbeaten and climbed to the top of FIFA's world rankings for the first time.

The side, which in 2010 became the first European team to win the World Cup in a different continent, has also been breaking numerous national records as well, with striker David Villa now the country's all-time record goalscorer and goalkeeper Iker Casillas the most capped player ever.

Meanwhile, Xavi, Carles Puyol, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Sergio Ramos and Villa are all also in the top 10 for national team appearances and each within sight of 100 caps.

Combine all that with the fact that the majority of the squad have enjoyed almost unparalleled club success as well, it is little wonder Spain is again firm favourite heading into Euro 2012.

Xavi said on www.uefa.com: "We hope to win more trophies and continue making history. We think that we have a great opportunity with this generation of players.

"The entire world is going to be watching the team and there is a certain amount of pressure, but this is good.

"After winning the European Championships and World Cup we are a team at peace and we can compete with calm."

Taking all that into consideration, it begs the question is there anyone or anything that can stop this all-conquering Spain side from writing another page in the record books this summer?

Well, there are certain factors that could give the likes of Germany, Italy, France, Portugal and England a glimmer of hope.

Firstly, Spain could become the victim of its own success. Unlike four years ago, the Iberians are no longer an unknown quantity and the side is unlikely to surprise anyone with its style of play.

Captain Casillas admits: "Spain can win it again, but the problem is we aren't going in like we did four years ago. Then there were some expectations, but we weren't favourites and now we are the world champions. We need to be prudent and cautious because all the teams will be out to give it everything."

Fatigue must also be a worry with Barca, Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao – who between them are likely to make up around three-quarters of Spain's squad – having each had gruelling campaigns that included numerous semi-final and final appearances.

Burn-out might not be limited to just players from those sides, either, with the likes of Juan Mata and David Silva having had energy-sapping seasons in England.

Aside from that, Fernando Torres, Spain's match-winner in the 2008 final against Germany, has had a largely torrid campaign with Chelsea while several other prospective strikers appear to have gone off the boil in recent times.

Mental fatigue might also be an issue for Barca players following a season which saw it lose both its Champions League and Primera Division titles.

Barca, it will be recalled, provided seven of Spain's starting line-up for the 2010 World Cup final.

Another situation that some fear could prove an issue is the much-publicised tensions between Barca and Real over the past two years, although Casillas insisted recently "there is no problem" on that front.

Del Bosque also appears relaxed about the obstacles facing his side, saying: "We face an unprecedented challenge, a win after a win after a win, and we want to make history.

"We are favourites but we should not think about it. We have an obligation to defend our title, it will be difficult but we will face the challenge head-on."

So while there is some hope for opposing sides that Spain's golden generation may perhaps not shine as brightly as it has done, it will still take a brave person to bet against Casillas and co claiming more silverware and more records come July 1.

At Euro 2012, it may revert back to it – by winning the thing.

If any team can compete with Spain in Poland and Ukraine, it is Germany.

The team that destroyed England and Lionel Messi's Argentina in 2010 is now two years more mature and experienced and, crucially, just as full of flair.

Joachim Low, its stylish head coach about whom little was known outside Germany when he took over from Jurgen Klinsmann in 2006, has proved himself one of the most impressive international bosses in the game.

He has put his faith in youth and developed a team committed to attacking football.

"The philosophy is cemented. The base is better than in 2008 [when Germany were beaten in the final by Spain]," Low said.

"And the age distribution is good. We have a very balanced squad."

That many of that squad were team-mates in the under-21 side that won the European Championship in 2009 has only served to nurture an understanding and team spirit to be envied.

The side will certainly need to hit the ground running this summer, having been drawn in Group B with World Cup finalists the Netherlands, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Denmark.

But 10 wins out of 10 in qualifying, and a glance at its enviable squad, suggests that is unlikely to be a problem.

A midfield that boasts the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira, Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil – all either Champions League finalists with Bayern Munich or semi-finalists with Real Madrid – is perhaps the only one in the tournament that can come close to Spain's Barcelona quartet of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets.

Ozil and Muller in particular announced their arrival as two of the most exciting young players in Europe at the last World Cup – Ozil earned a move to Madrid on the back of his performances in the tournament – and this time around it could be the turn of two more up-and-coming talents.

Borussia Dortmund's Mario Gotze, still only 19, is just about the most highly rated teenager on the continent, described by German Football Association technical director Matthias Sammer as "one of the best talents we've ever had".

Marco Reus, 22, who will join Dortmund from Borussia Monchengladbach this summer, having helped unfancied Gladbach to Champions League qualification, is another tipped for a big future.

In Manuel Neuer Germany has a goalkeeper not daunted by the prospect of having to live up to the great Oliver Kahn, both at club level with Bayern and on the international stage.

Key to Germany's hopes, though, could be the performance of Bayern striker Mario Gomez.

The 26-year-old has failed badly to live up to his reputation as one of Europe's best goal-poachers in the last two major championships – he did not score in either tournament – but there is good reason to think things will be different this time around.

Gomez has more than 40 goals to his name this season, including 13 in 13 games in the Champions League, second only to Messi with the final still to come.

With Miroslav Klose, who has always saved his best for the national team, now comfortably the wrong side of 30, there is expectation on Gomez to prove he is the man to assume the goalscoring mantle.

But Low will also take reassurance from the fact Klose has enjoyed a productive debut season at Lazio and the Arsenal-bound Lukas Podolski has achieved his best-ever goal return in the Bundesliga, and with relegated Cologne to boot. The pair will also have an extra reason to do well, having been born in Poland.

Only in defence are there questions marks with the absence of an authoritative centre-back a slight worry, but having perhaps the best attacking full-back in the world in captain Philipp Lahm is ample compensation.

"The players crave big success," Low said. "I don't see us as top favourites. But we will go into the tournament well prepared. We have enough self-belief."

Low has named a 27-man provisional squad, which will be reduced to 23 by May 29, with Schalke's uncapped 18-year-old midfielder Julian Draxler the surprise inclusion.

"The Euros mean that every player has to fight for his place down to the last hour," the coach added.

Germany starts against Portugal in Lviv on June 9 before taking on the Netherlands and then Denmark.

A potential quarter-final, against one of Poland, Greece, Russia or Czech Republic, should hold little fear – and nor will the prospect of penalties.

After that, a record fourth European title will be in sight.

The 73-year-old freely admits that his squad boasts few superstars - Shay Given remains a top-class goalkeeper and Robbie Keane is one of only a handful of men to have completed a half-century of international goals - and some of his most dependable performers are not even guaranteed starts at their clubs.

Having guided the Republic to within a hair's breadth - or more accurately, the width of Thierry Henry's hand - of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa, he has steered it into Euro 2012, where it will rub shoulders with the continent's elite.

However, for Trapattoni and his players qualification is not the end of the story and while they will arrive in Poland facing the daunting task of attempting to emerge from a group which features reigning world and European champion Spain, plus Italy and Croatia, they are not travelling simply to make up the numbers.

Trapattoni said: "I was a player and I played against the best player in the world one time, Pele. I thought I was dead. But I won the game.

"Over three months or six months, the stronger teams usually wins, but 90 minutes is 90 minutes. There are games that teams can lose in an instant after a mistake. That is football."

In his four years at the helm, Trapattoni has come up with a plan, and it is one which has served Ireland well to date.

He knows he does not have the players to tear teams apart with slick, flowing football, nor the individual brilliance available to some of his international colleagues despite acknowledging that the likes of Aiden McGeady, Damien Duff and Keane are genuinely potent weapons.

However, it did not take him long to realise that his squad have passion, spirit, pride and industry in abundance, and that has proved a powerful concoction to date.

The veteran Italian said: "We don't have Messi or other quality creative players like Ronaldo or Maradona in the past.

"But we have a strong team with organisation and with balance."

The World Cup travesty in Paris proved a powerful motivation for the Irish as they set about the task of leaving nothing to chance in the quest for qualification for Poland and Ukraine.

A 3-2 home defeat by Group B favourite Russia looked to have put paid to their hopes of topping the group, and although Armenia denied Dick Advocaat's men victory in Yerevan, Ireland's disappointing 0-0 draw with Slovakia sent it to Moscow in September last year with the group on a knife-edge.

In truth it took a battering at the Luzhniki Stadium, but with central defender Richard Dunne and Given in particular refusing to be beaten, it somehow emerged with another goalless draw.

Ultimately it was the play-off route which again presented itself as the way forward for the Republic, and a resounding 4-0 win in Estonia paved the way for a 5-1 aggregate victory and a ticket to the finals.

Trapattoni said: "We have shown the players how we can achieve these results and in every game we must continue.

"We can achieve with this attitude, with this mentality, with this application. This is our way."

The manager's critics accuse him of conservatism, of placing the shape and solidity of his team ahead of flair and enterprise.

He counters by pointing to the fact that he more often than not fields two out-and-out strikers and two specialist wingers, although that goes hand in hand with an insistence that his team must also defend from the front, and his results provide ample evidence to support the efficacy of that approach.

Trapattoni's philosophy, however, will be put to the sternest of tests this tournament.

Spain will be firm favourite to retain the title it won in Vienna four years ago, and although Trapattoni is yet to lose to his native Italy in three attempts to date since taking over the reins, it remains one of Europe's traditional powers.

However, as a man who has won league titles in four different countries, he has seen enough to know none of the Republic's opponents can take anything for granted.

Trapattoni said: "I don't know if the other teams are arrogant and think they are superior.

"I don't think that. My philosophy is 'Be careful' because it's possible for everyone to lose a game."

The centre-back picked up a right thigh strain in Juve's final game of the Serie A season against Atalanta on Monday (AEST) and the Turin club confirmed he will be out for 20 days.

Chiellini, who was included in coach Cesare Prandelli's preliminary squad for this northern summer's tournament in Poland and Ukraine, will miss Monday's Coppa Italia final against Napoli.

The 27-year-old missed just four league games this season and was key in helping new champion Juve finish with the best defensive record in the division with only 20 goals conceded in 38 games.

Italy begins its EURO 2012 campaign against world and European champion Spain on 11 June before taking on Group C rival Croatia four days later and Republic of Ireland on 18 June.

Hodgson is believed to have spoken to the Manchester United defender and told him he would not be going to Poland and Ukraine this northern summer.

Ferdinand has made no comment on the matter, although it is thought Hodgson's decision may have been shaped more by concerns over the 33-year-old's long-standing back problems.

Although he was speaking about the potential for Ferdinand being selected for duty at the Olympics later in the summer, Sir Alex Ferguson said it was impossible for the former West Ham man to play twice in four days.

As a similarly packed schedule would have to be navigated at the European Championships, it is thought Hodgson has concluded that he cannot take the risk of managing one of his senior players through a tournament of such significance.

The news will come as a blow to Ferdinand, who had declared his intention to make himself available for England, despite obvious complications over his relationship with long-time central defensive colleague John Terry.

The Chelsea man will face a court case later this year after being charged with making comments of a racist nature to Ferdinand's brother Anton during the Blues' English Premier League encounter with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road last year. Terry denies the charges.

It is thought Terry will be part of the England squad, along with club colleague Frank Lampard.

Hodgson's firm decision about Ferdinand appears to signal the end of his 81-cap England career.

Ferdinand last featured for his country in the Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland in June last year, although he was selected for the friendly against The Netheralands the following August which was postponed due to the London riots.

And it is not the only bold decision Hodgson has taken.

During his extended period as interim manager following Fabio Capello's dismissal, Stuart Pearce claimed he had put everything into place for the new man to slot into.

Now it seems Hodgson was not that impressed.

After shoving the planned squad announcement back, Hodgson has now taken the even more significant decision to scrap next week's planned training camp in Spain.

Both Capello and then Pearce, who changed the destination, felt it was a good idea to take the England players away for a few days ahead of the friendly with Norway in Oslo on May 26.

Hodgson has decided his players could do with some additional rest instead, which may also have an impact on the plans to gather as a group for the first time early next week.

England is also believed to have been dealt an injury blow with the news that Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Walker has been ruled out with a broken toe.

Walker seemed certain to be handed a squad berth after winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award this season.

However, with Liverpool's Glen Johnson and Manchester City's Micah Richards both available, in addition to Phil Jones of Manchester United, Hodgson does have plenty of options in that area.

It remains to be seen whether Hodgson has any other surprises in store and he has previously offered few clues to his eventual selection.

On two separate occasions, most recently earlier this week, the 64-year-old has said he needed to pay considerable attention to the players responsible for getting England to the European Championships.

Given 15 players contributed some part to at least half of England's qualifying games, a figure that includes only one goalkeeper, Joe Hart, but not Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll or Jones - it would appear Hodgson's job is almost done.

The situation is not that simple though.

At either end of the experience scale, Paul Scholes and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have been talked about as possibles, whilst Hodgson also has to select a permanent captain, knowing Steven Gerrard is the obvious favourite but Scott Parker was the choice of interim boss Pearce for the February friendly defeat to The Netherlands at Wembley.

The talented AZ midfielder made the cut as Van Marwijk trimmed down a 36-player roster ahead of a pre-tournament training camp in Switzerland. The squad has to be reduced again to 23 players by May 29.

Van Marwijk sent home Urby Emmanuelson of AC Milan and Vitesse Arnhem defender Alexander Buettner, both of whom were under consideration for the left back position.

Also dropped were goalkeepers Jasper Cillessen of Ajax and Erwin Mulder of Feyenoord, FC Twente winger Ola John, Hedwiges Maduro of Valencia, Nick Viergever of AZ, Stefan de Vrij of Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven midfielder Georginio Wijnaldim.

The World Cup runner-up is in a group with Germany, Portugal and Denmark at the June 8 to July 1 tournament, jointly hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

Kaboul suffered a recurrence of an old knee problem in last weekend's English Premier League win against Fulham and follows Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna, who suffered a broken leg against Norwich City earlier this month, in being ruled out of Blanc's preliminary selection.

"He suffers from a quite serious knee injury. He is out of the Euros," Blanc told Eurosport in a live broadcast to announce his provisional 26-man squad for next month's tournament in Ukraine and Poland.

Other English Premier League players did get the nod for a squad due to face England in its opening Group D game on June 11, with defenders Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) and Gael Clichy (Manchester City), and midfielders Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Samir Nasri (Manchester City), Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle United) all included.

Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, who has been central to his side's surprise Ligue 1 title bid, has been rewarded with a maiden call-up, while there was also a slot for Marseille's Loic Remy despite the striker suffering a thigh injury at the weekend that is set to sideline him for three to four weeks.

"This is a pretty serious injury," Blanc said.

"There is contact with the staff of the OM. Do we eliminate Loic today, or do we give ourselves a chance to him it back? We opted for the latter."

"We can follow the evolution of his injury. We will make a decision on May 28."

Blanc has to trim his squad to a final 23 by May 29, two days after a warm-up match against Iceland, while further friendlies are scheduled against Serbia on May 31 and Estonia on June 5.

Sweden and co-host Ukraine are alongside France and England in Group D.

Provisional France squad for Euro 2012: Carrasso (Bordeaux), Lloris (Lyon), Mandanda (Marseille); Debuchy (Lille), Reveillere (Lyon), Clichy (Manchester City), Evra (Manchester United), Koscielny (Arsenal), Mexes (AC Milan), Rami (Valencia), Yanga-Mbiwa (Montpellier); Diarra (Marseille), Gourcuff (Lyon), M'Vila (Rennes), Martin (Sochaux), Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain), Cabaye (Newcastle), Malouda (Chelsea), Nasri (Manchester City), Valbuena (Marseille), Ben Arfa (Newcastle), Ribery (Bayern Munich); Giroud (Montpellier), Benzema (Real Madrid), Remy (Marseille), Jeremy Menez (Paris Saint-Germain).

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is joined by Atletico Madrid duo Juanfran and Adrian Lopez as well as Isco, Benat Extebarria and Javi Garcia.

Del Bosque opted not to name any Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao or Chelsea players given their commitments in the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League finals respectively in the coming weeks, so the final squad could look drastically different when it is named on May 27.

The former Real Madrid boss lamented the lack of preparation time afforded to many of his players ahead of the tournament, but believes it is a great opportunity for those that are new to the squad to make an impression.

He told Marca: "Isco and Benat are two prospects for the national team. They are with us and Isco in particular has had a great season at Malaga.

"Almost every Monday I also watch the players playing abroad and those that play well will be rewarded. This is the case with Javi Garcia.

"Our concern right now is to choose the best. Obviously we have the worry that there could be a step back in the emotion of the players. We want to arrive in the best condition possible. We are not going to have a pre-season towards the European Championships but a prolongation of the season just finished. We hope to have a good competition."

Del Bosque also recognised that the scheduling of the Copa del Rey final for the night before the first friendly against Serbia was not ideal, but something the world and European champion will just have to cope with.

"Our obligation is to adapt to the circumstances and arrive in the best conditions for the Championships. I don't think it is important for me personally to be at the Copa del Rey final because by whatever means we, as a coaching team, will be present."

Del Bosque touched on the latest developments in David Villa's race to be fit in time for the naming of the official squad.

The Barcelona forward has been out since breaking his fibula in December and is not expected to play any part in the final against Athletic.

"He is recovering from his injury and clearly he could come to Poland and Ukraine. We will know further down the line. We take the final decision on the 27th and on this day we will take the final decision on David Villa."

Spain squad: Casillas (Real Madrid), Reina (Liverpool), De Gea (Man United); Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Ramos (Real Madrid), Albiol (Real Madrid), Alba (Valencia), Monreal (Malaga), Torres (Atlético Madrid); Domínguez (Atlético Madrid); Alonso (Real Madrid), Cazorla (Malaga), Etxebarria (Real Betis), Isco (Malaga), Garcia (Benfica), Soriano (Villarreal) Silva (Man City), Navas (Sevilla); Negredo (Sevilla), Soldado (Valencia); Lopez (Atlético).

The countries have told UEFA that they would be interested in bidding to host the European championships on a three-way basis.

So far Turkey is the only other nation to inform UEFA that it wants to host the tournament.

A source close to UEFA has confirmed to the Press Association that a written expression of interest from the three 'Celtic' countries has been submitted to the European governing body.

UEFA has a deadline of midnight Wednesday for any other declarations of interest.

Bidders would need to put forward up to 10 stadiums to host matches in the European championships, which is being expanded from 16 teams to 24 from 2016.

Scotland and Wales would struggle to provide that number of stadiums to satisfy UEFA requirements but Ireland's involvement would cover the shortfall.

The formal declaration of interest does not commit the Celtic countries to proceeding with a bid however - a decision is not due to be taken by UEFA for 18 months.

The countries have not fared well in the past in bidding for the tournament. Scotland and the Republic of Ireland bid jointly for Euro 2008 but were one of the first to be eliminated, and Scotland and Wales considered bidding jointly for Euro 2016 but decided against it.

Turkey's bid is in some disarray already because its FA has been engulfed by allegations of corruption and match-fixing in Turkish football, and it also conflicts with Istanbul's bid to land the Olympics in the same year.

UEFA president Michel Platini had signalled he would support's Turkey bid but only if Istanbul fails in its Olympic bid.

Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan said the idea of bidding for Euro 2020 had been discussed but would not confirm or deny whether an expression of interest had been made.

Regan told www.insidethegames.biz: "I'm not able to comment publicly at this stage because it has not gone to our board but there will be an exchange of correspondence before the deadline.

"It's obviously something that has been discussed."

Asked if Scotland and Wales would be able to meet the UEFA criteria for stadiums, Regan replied: "There are other ways of skinning a cat and alternative ways of being considered for a major tournament."

UEFA's deadline for formal expressions of interest is midnight tomorrow and so far only Turkey has come forward to confirm it is bidding.

Officials at the Scottish and Welsh FAs have refused to confirm or deny that a bid will be submitted but sources have confirmed that talks about bidding have taken place.

The expansion of the tournament to 24 teams however means that they would need a third country involved to provide the necessary number of top-class stadiums which is where the Republic of Ireland would come in.

A source told the Press Association: "Discussions have taken place about bidding but we would not be able to bid alone. It may need to be three countries involved."

A final decision is expected to be taken by the boards of the FAs involved this week.

UEFA president Michel Platini had signalled he would support Turkey's bid but only if Istanbul failed in its bid to land the Olympics in the same year.

The Benfica player was the main surprise in the 23-man squad announced by coach Paulo Bento.

Portugal has struggled to find a top-class centre-forward, with most goals in the qualifying campaign coming from attacking midfielders Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

Oliveira has played mostly as a substitute for his club and came on late for Portugal in a friendly against Poland in February for his debut. He faces competition for a place in the line-up from Hugo Almeida and Helder Postiga.

Oliveira "is a young player with a lot of skill and a lot of potential," Bento told a news conference. "He's got different characteristics from the other strikers. We believe in him."

Defender Miguel Lopes and midfielder Custodio Castro, both uncapped players from Portuguese club Braga, were other surprises though they are unlikely to be first choices for Bento.

Portugal, which is still chasing its first international title, is in Group B against former champion Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark at Euro 2012.

The squad gathers this week for its pre-tournament training camp.

Portugal plays exhibition games against Macedonia on May 26 and against Turkey on June 2, two days before travelling to Poland.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon), Eduardo (Benfica), Beto (Cluj).

Defenders: Bruno Alves (Zenit St. Petersburg), Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid), Joao Pereira (Sporting Lisbon), Pepe (Real Madrid), Rolando (FC Porto), Ricardo Costa (Valencia), Miguel Lopes (Braga).

Midfielders: Carlos Martins (Granada), Joao Moutinho (FC Porto), Miguel Veloso (Genoa), Raul Meireles (Chelsea), Ruben Micael (Zaragoza), Custodio Castro (Braga).

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Helder Postiga (Zaragoza), Nani (Manchester United), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas), Silvestre Varela (FC Porto), Nelson Oliveira (Benfica).

Marseille's top scorer with 12 league goals, Remy had to go off in the 50th minute of his side's 3-0 win at home to Auxerre after abruptly pulling up in the centre of the pitch.

"Tests have confirmed a lesion in Loic Remy's left quadriceps (the right femoral)," a statement published on the Marseille website read on Monday.

"He is likely to be unavailable for between three and four weeks."

The club added that its medical staff were "in contact with those of the France team".

The news is a heavy blow for Remy, who would face a race against time to be fit for France's opening game at Euro 2012, against England in Donetsk on June 11.

He had been expected to be named in Blanc's squad alongside Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and Montpellier's Olivier Giroud.

Blanc will reveal which Ligue 1 players have been included in his preliminary squad for the tournament.

"I don't think it's too serious," Remy had said on Sunday evening (local time).

"We'll do some tests tomorrow (Monday) and we'll see. I hope to be in the squad."

The 25-year-old, who began his career at Lyon before spells at Lens and Nice, is reportedly being tracked by English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

The SV Hamburg goalkeeper is not fully fit and Bilek has until the final nomination on May 29 to decide whether to pick him or Tomas Grigar from Telice, picked alongside Chelsea's Petr Cech and Dnepopetrovsk's Jan Lastuvka.

The Czech team is drawn into group A with Poland, Greece and Russia at the June 8-July 1 tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Beliek's team will tune up on June 26 against Israel and on June 1 against Hungary.

Nominees: Goalkeepers: Petr Cech (Chelsea), Jaroslav Drobny (SV Hamburg), Tomas Grigar (FK Teplice), Jan Lastuvka (Dnero Dneropetrovsk);

Defenders: Theodor Gebre Selassie (Slovan Liberec), Roman Hubnik (Hertha Berlin), Michal Kadlec (Bayer Leverkusen), David Limbersky (Viktoria Plzen), Daniel Pudil (Cesena), Frantisek Rajtoral (Viktoria Plzen), Tomas Sivok (Besiktas Istanbul), Marek Suchy (Spartak Moscow);

Midfielders: Tomas Huebschman (Schakhtar Donetskn), Petr Jiracek (Wolfsburg), Daniel Kolar (Viktoria Plzen), Milan Petrzela (Viktoria Plzen), Vaclav Pilar (Viktoria Plzen), Jaroslav Plasil(Girondins Bordeaux), Jan Rezek (Anarthosis Famagusta), Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal);

Forwards: Milan Baros (Galatasaray Istanbul), David Lafata (Baumit Jablonec), Tomas Necid (CSKA Moskow), Tomas Pekhart (Nuremberg).

The former full-back has signed a four-year deal with the FA and will join England for this northern summer's European championships, the Football Association said on Monday.

"Roy asking me to be a part of his staff and to work with the national team is not only an honour but a very special moment for me," said Neville, who has been working as a TV pundit.

"I had absolutely no hesitation in accepting this role and I am relishing the opportunity to work alongside Roy and the team at the Euros and through to the next two tournaments."

Hodgson, who took over as England manager earlier this month, said he had no hesitation in calling on Neville.

"Gary has achieved so much in the game as a player with Manchester United and England," he said.

"He has obtained UEFA coaching qualifications and will be tremendously respected by the players because of his vast experience as a player.

"At my first meeting with the FA, I explained that Gary was someone I wanted as part of my staff. I think it is very important we have a younger coach who knows the dressing room and is very experienced at international level.

"That he has represented England as a player at five major finals tournaments will make him an invaluable member of staff."

Manager Martin O'Neill admitted after the team's last start 1-0 home defeat by Manchester United, during which O'Shea limped off before the break, that the 31-year-old could be a doubt for Euro 2012.

However, the Black Cats since confirmed that O'Shea will join up with the rest of Giovanni Trapattoni's English Premier League-based players to start preparations in Malahide on Sunday.

Foster will stick to the decision he made 12 months ago to concentrate on club football, because he dislikes being parted from his family and the need to rest up during international breaks.

Even the presence of new England goalkeeping coach Dave Watson, who worked with Foster at his parent club Birmingham City, has not prompted a U-turn by the player.

Hodgson names his Euro 2012 squad on Wednesday, and when asking if he was coming out of international retirement, Foster said: "I'm still exactly the same. I've had a very good chat with the boss (Hodgson) this week and he has told me of his plans and stuff.

"I've always said all along my best form has been since I retired from England and I feel my body gets a good rest, and I feel it needs that rest as well.

"Not only that, the fact I've got a young family now, and the family is very big with me. I've got a three and a four-year-old and they do take up a lot of my time.

"I make no secret, I miss them when I'm away with England. I prefer to spend that time with the family than being away from them."

Foster admitted: "Roy (Hodgson) tried hard to persuade me to change my mind. I get on with him so well and he is a fantastic manager. You learn so much off him.

"I know he will do a fantastic job for England.

"But he totally understood my reasons why and was very respectful of that and understood my decision and my way of thinking.

"I'm also delighted Dave Watson is now part of the England set-up. He worked with Joe Hart at Birmingham, and gets on very well with Joe, and I'd like to think I did well under him as well.

"But again he knew my reasons last season why I went into retirement and he understood it and was respectful of it."

Foster missed West Brom's final game of the campaign against Arsenal at the Hawthorns - Hodgson's last as Albion manager - with a groin injury.

Parker missed Tottenham Hotspur's final match of the Premier League season, a 2-0 home victory over London neighbour Fulham.

And Redknapp revealed that new England manager Roy Hodgson will discover within a week whether he must do without the midfielder.

"He is going to have an injection tomorrow and they are hoping with six or seven days of rest it could clear up," Redknapp said.

"So we will have to wait and see with Scott. If it doesn't clear up then he wouldn't be fit for the finals.

"If he has to have an operation then he would be out long term."

Another player who would be expected to be included in the squad for next month's finals in Poland and Ukraine if fully fit is Kyle Walker.

The defender was already playing despite a broken toe and had to be substituted early in the second half because of an ankle injury.

But this time the news was more positive.

"He's OK," Redknapp said. "He was limping about there but I'm sure he will be all right tomorrow. He just couldn't run properly. Kyle will be OK for the Euros."

Meanwhile, Hodgson has failed to persuade goalkeeper Ben Foster to come out of international exile for the European championship.

Foster has impressed Hodgson while on loan at West Bromwich Albion from Birmingham City this season even though the 29-year-old Foster announced a year ago that he was taking an indefinite break from international football.

Foster says Hodgson "tried hard to persuade me to change my mind ... but he totally understood my reasons and was very respectful of that."

Foster wants to spend time with his family instead of going to EURO 2012.

And he says his "best form has been since I retired from England and I feel my body gets a good rest."

The AC Milan forward, who underwent minor heart surgery last year and missed six months before recently returning to action, was included in Cesare Prandelli's preliminary 32-man group.

Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale was selected for the first time by Prandelli after a superb campaign which saw him finish as the leading Italian scorer in Serie A.

Di Natale had not featured for the Azzurri since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, who captured the Barclays Premier League title, joins Cassano and Di Natale in the squad.

Prandelli has also brought in four uncapped players to his selection: Siena striker Mattia Destro, Juventus midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini, Atalanta winger Ezequiel Schelotto and Pescara playmaker Marco Verratti.

Prandelli will announce his final 23-man squad on 29 May.

Italy provisional squad: Buffon (Juventus), De Sanctis (Napoli), Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain), Viviano (Palermo); Abate (AC Milan), Astori (Cagliari), Balzaretti (Palermo), Barzagli (Juventus), Bocchetti (Rubin Kazan), Bonucci (Juventus), Chiellini (Juventus), Criscito (Zenit St Petersburg), Maggio (Napoli), Ogbonna (Torino), Ranocchia (Inter Milan); Cigarini (Atalanta), De Rossi (Roma), Diamanti (Bologna), Giaccherini (Juventus), Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Paris St Germain), Nocerino (AC Milan), Pirlo (Juventus), Schelotto (Atalanta), Verratti (Pescara); Balotelli (Manchester City), Borini (Roma), Cassano (AC Milan), Destro (Siena), Di Natale (Udinese), Giovinco (Parma).

The incident took place in Kiev's central Independence Square, where the trophy for the European championship was on display.

The woman, a member of the shock protest group Femen, had "F*** Euro 2012" painted on her torso. News reports identified her as Yulia Kovachik, 23. She was able to knock the trophy off its display stand before police detained her seconds later, a witness said.

She was arrested and police carried her from the scene rolled up in a EURO 2012 advertising banner. The trophy was slightly damaged, a group spokeswoman said.

The group Femen has been outspoken in its opposition to Ukraine's co-hosting of EURO 2012, arguing that the sports event will increase prostitution in the country.

Government officials have said they expect the championship - the first major football tournament ever to be played in the former Soviet republic - to be good for the economy and improve Ukraine's international reputation.

Poland is the other co-host. The Ukrainian capital Kiev is scheduled to be the site of the final game in the tournament, to be played on 2 July.

The former Real Madrid coach has navigated a career replete with successes matched by few, and winning the EURO 2012 title in Poland and Ukraine could place the unassuming 61-year-old Spaniard among the all-time greats.

Del Bosque replaced Luis Aragones after Spain's EURO 2008 victory and maintained the team's style and character, guiding it to its first World Cup triumph two years ago.

Del Bosque's four seasons at Madrid heralded the most important collective trophy haul since Miguel Munoz won nine Spanish leagues and two European Cups between 1960-1974.

Del Bosque won a pair of UEFA Champions League and Spanish league titles, an Intercontinental Cup and a European Super Cup.

"The most important thing is the players' talent, but their is also the question of organising the team. That equilibrium is key - talent and order," Del Bosque said.

"I'm not someone who likes to give a lot of orders from the bench, but when the time comes and a solution is needed, of course I step in. But when the ball is on your foot, it's the player that has the influence."

Helmut Schoen is the only other coach to have won European and world championships after guiding West Germany to titles in 1972 and 1974 respectively.

Spain opens Group C against Italy on 11 June before facing Republic of Ireland and Croatia, with all three group games to be played in Gdansk, Poland.

Del Bosque's calm is piercing. On the sidelines - and in person - he never raises his voice or reveals emotions, preferring modest command. A droopy face and bloodshot eyes provide a basset hound-likeness that typifies the grandfatherly persona the Spanish have come to characterise him with.

Coaching talent such as Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Iker Casillas doesn't make the job too upsetting, either.

"I like to think that in 2012 I did a better job than in 2008. That every day I learn more," said Del Bosque, himself a former Spain international. "My work has improved."

Spain has won 33 of 36 competitive matches under Del Bosque, with both losses particularly stinging to his normally demure demeanour. Spain's 1-0 loss to Switzerland to open the World Cup was no omen, he insists, but a nightmare.

"That was the worst moment, it was the hardest, most difficult moment we experienced. I don't want another moment like that at the Euro," Del Bosque said.

"We don't want to start the championship like that, we have to be ready for Italy because I wouldn't wish to go through that again. I think everyone listened better, even the coach. It was one of the toughest moments, if not the worst."

Spain won its next six games in South Africa, including the 1-0 extra-time final over Netherlands.

It was perfect in EURO 2012 qualifying to make it 14 straight competitive games without a loss - one short of matching the record winning streak it set three years ago before losing to the United States in the Confederations Cup semi-finals.

"The worst is when you don't have a way (to win) like (that) day," Del Bosque remembered of a loss that left it equal with Brazil's run of 35 games unbeaten in the 1990s.

Del Bosque has often said the hardest part of the job is having to leave talented players such as David Silva or Cesc Fabregas on the bench. With defender Carles Puyol injured, David Villa likely missing and Fernando Torres' form under question, Del Bosque faces a tougher challenge than in South Africa with key players like Xavi, Iniesta and Gerard Pique also having missed parts of the season because of injury.

But Del Bosque's ability to transmit confidence through calm is likely what helps his unassuming, humble squad of stars. Del Bosque prefers emotion on the field rather than off, even though he doesn't lead by example in either case.

"We have a group of players that are pretty intelligent and know how to play football and know that without emotion you can't do much on the field. If you're not motivated there's not much point in competing," Del Bosque said.

"The most important thing is that these players show emotion. Without it, it's impossible to play."

Six years ago Italy headed to Germany for the FIFA World Cup with its domestic game in turmoil.

The infamous "Calciopoli" match-fixing scandal had just broken at the end of the season and involved some of the country's biggest teams.

Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina were caught up in the affair, meaning many of Italy's World Cup squad would be directly affected by the issue.

Despite that, the team won through to the final and clinched the title after a penalty shootout against France.

Italy's previous World Cup win, in Spain in 1982, also came on the back of a match-fixing scandal that saw star striker Paolo Rossi banned but able to return in time to score six goals, winning the Golden Boot and Golden Ball in the process.

None of the players likely to be part of Cesare Prandelli's squad in Poland and Ukraine are affected by the current allegations.

"Calcioscommesse" (football betting) is mainly centred on the second tier and although Serie A side Atalanta was punished for its role - from the season before when it was in Serie B - it doesn't currently have anyone in the Italy squad.

Issues of national embarrassment aside, Italy's problems with corruption in football appear to have a unifying effect on the team.

That would be no bad thing with the current batch of players widely regarded as lacking in genuine world class talent.

Great stars of the past such as Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta are no longer part of the set-up.

Currently, Italy's two greatest talents, Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli, are unpredictable firebrands who on their day have the ability to turn matches.

Prandelli knows it is a risk to take either player but given his very average options, he cannot afford not to bring them, as Italy hunts a second European crown.

Italy can at least rely on one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Gianluigi Buffon and in front of him Prandelli will likely choose two from three Juventus centre-backs, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

Juve had the best defence in Serie A this season and unlike the World Cup two years ago when it also provided the core of the Italy backline, this time it comes into the tournament with confidence having won the league.

Before the tournament in South Africa two years ago, the Juve defence had just conceded a club record number of goals in a season and finished a disappointing seventh.

In midfield Juve will also provide the two crucial elements, most notably a rejuvenated Andrea Pirlo who has been by far the standout performer in Italy this season.

Claudio Marchisio, alongside him, has come of age and his intelligent infiltrations beyond the defence are a feature exploited well by Juve and Italy.

With Spain in the same group, the Azzurri won't start as favourites. But they can never be discounted.

And if Cassano or Balotelli can produce something special, with Pirlo's probing and their general solidity, it would be wrong to write them off.

Hodgson will bring down the curtain on his spell with the Baggies at Monday's (AEST) home Barclays Premier League clash with UEFA Champions League-chasing Arsenal.

Albion number two Downing feels Hodgson is the ideal appointment for England on the evidence of his work in establishing West Brom in the top flight.

Downing said: "Roy has brought structure, discipline, organisation, just a purpose to every day that he trains.

"You hear people talking about 'is it laborious, is it too drilled?'

"But I'm sure any player at this football club will say the moment Roy walked in he has improved their performance individually and collectively as a unit.

"Every time we go out on the field there is a purpose to our play. There are no grey areas. People know exactly how they should play. He makes you a better player.

"If you are a proper footballer and listen on a daily basis, you can't help but improve and that will apply with England as well."

Downing added: "In my opinion, Roy is the best man for England. I haven't worked with Harry Redknapp but I know what Roy will bring them.

"I'm sure England will go into each game with a structure and a game plan.

"Obviously football is down to players but he will give them the best chance to win those games."

Downing has seen Hodgson help to stabilise the Baggies since his arrival in February 2011 after being sacked by Liverpool.

He said: "I don't think it has come by chance. It has come by hard work.

"Statistics can be looked at whatever way but ultimately to finish mid-table - and when he came in we were sliding - it just shows the work he has done."

After rupturing ankle ligaments in February, Bent is stepping up his rehabilitation work in the hope of being part of England's squad.

England's medical team has been monitoring his progress, with physio Gary Lewin initially visiting Bodymoor Heath three weeks ago and making a second visit to Villa's training complex this week.

McLeish said: "Darren is working hard and training well. He's not joined the group yet. It's important that Darren gets a good summer behind him and regroups for the start of next season."

"He has come through a lot and he's at a good stage just now. He's enjoying his one-on-ones with the physios, he's working really hard."

"Can he make the Euros? Roy Hodgson would have a better idea. If there were six weeks of the season to go, he'd certainly be back within those six weeks."

"But whether he goes to the Euros would be Roy's decision. It seems at this moment that, with another two or three weeks' training, he could be fine and available, put it that way."

McLeish admits the absence of Bent has been a massive blow for Villa.

He said: "I think it's 19 games the big fellow has missed. God knows how many goals he'd have got us and maybe have taken us into a little comfort zone."

"Hopefully he makes a full recovery in the summer and he's ready all guns blazing for next season."

The Manchester United manager was actually explaining why he had written to the Football Association stating that none of his over-age players, with the exception of Ryan Giggs, would be available for selection for the Great Britain Olympic squad this summer.

However, as England could end up facing a schedule of six matches in 21 days, just four days more than the one Stuart Pearce's outfit will be plotting for, the same fears over Ferdinand's fitness presumably apply.

"In the Olympics you play something a game every four days. Rio Ferdinand couldn't do that," Ferguson told MUTV.

With Roy Hodgson set to name his European Championship squad in a few days, Ferguson provides him with a new dilemma to ponder.

Thus far, Hodgson is yet to speak with Ferdinand and deposed skipper John Terry about their willingness to play alongside each other, with speculation intensifying in recent days that the Manchester United man was more likely to be selected.

However, if Ferguson's words are to be taken at face value, Hodgson may be deciding whether he can afford to take a risk with Ferdinand's fitness, as Fabio Capello did with Ledley King at the World Cup, only for the move to backfire when the Tottenham man's troublesome knees gave way.

Ferdinand's situation is a side issue for Ferguson, who has confirmed that fellow defender Jonny Evans requires an ankle operation that rules him out of Olympic duty, whilst he is also pondering groin surgery for Chris Smalling, which could also cost him his place, after already being ruled out of Euro 2012.

One player Ferguson would be happy to release for the Olympics is Giggs, whose willingness to play may yet meet opposition from the Welsh FA.

"Ryan wants to play. I am happy with that. He is looking forward to it," said the Manchester United manager.

"Whether he plays three games in seven days is another matter - that is not my decision."

"But he does want to play because he has always missed out on the big tournaments with Wales."

It would not be too wild to speculate Ferguson has had a slightly harder task persuading Javier Hernandez not to play for Mexico.

However, after successive tournaments, World Cup and Gold Cup, United's boss feels it is time the striker had a break.

"Mexico have five games in the summer," said Ferguson.

"After you have played a full season in England, five more games is a big task."

"We are trying to cut that down a bit."

"Mexico is a very patriotic country and all their players are patriotic. Javier wants to play."

"But we want him to get some proper rest."

Making the latter stages of tournaments has never been a problem for the nation that has given the world Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp and total football.

Beaten World Cup finalist in 1974, 1978 and 2010, it has reached the semi-finals at the European Championship three times since it last lifted the trophy in 1988, only to fall before the final on each occasion.

The Dutch side that competed at Euro 2008 was the sensation of the group phase, beating Italy (3-0) and France (4-1) in scintillating fashion, but it went out timidly to Russia in the last eight.

In a bid to address the country's traditional football failings, coach Bert van Marwijk turned the team that went to the 2010 FIFA World Cup into a more dogged and pragmatic outfit.

It was enough to take it to the final - and an extra-time defeat at the hands of Spain - but the team was disowned by Cruyff, who accused it of betraying its footballing heritage.

Nobody could accuse the Netherlands of being boring on the road to Poland and the Ukraine.

With 37 goals in 10 matches it was the top scorers in qualifying, while its 11-0 annihilation of San Marino last September was the biggest victory in the country's history.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar topped the scoring charts in qualifying with 12 goals and he has also been in sensational form for club side Schalke, plundering 29 goals to win Kicker magazine's award for the Bundesliga's top marksman.

Robin van Persie played second-fiddle to Huntelaar in qualifying but over the past 18 months he has belatedly emerged as one of the world's top strikers, netting 30 goals for Arsenal this season and being crowned the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

There have been mixed results in recent friendlies, with a 0-0 draw against Switzerland in November followed by a 3-0 humbling at the hands of Germany in Hamburg a few days later.

Key players, including van Persie, were missing for the Germany game, however, and there was encouragement to be found in February's 3-2 defeat of England at Wembley, where Arjen Robben scored a fine brace.

With Robben fit and firing for Bayern Munich, van Marwijk has plenty of options in attack but Wesley Sneijder - talisman of the World Cup campaign - has endured an injury-plagued season for Inter Milan, making just 16 league starts.

The Netherlands match with old rival Germany in Kharkiv on June 13 promises to be the big match in Group B but Van Marwijk says his players cannot afford to look beyond its opening game against the Danes four days earlier.

The game against Portugal will also revive memories of "The Battle of Nuremberg" in the 2006 World Cup, which saw an unprecedented 16 yellow cards awarded.

But van Marwijk said: "I only look at the first match. For me the first match is the most important. At the World Cup (in 2010), it was similar: we also played the first match against Denmark (which the Netherlands won 2-0), and now we will again.

"So that will be exactly the same. We just have to win it."

The weight of history is nothing new for the Netherlands, and nor is the burden of expectation.

As ever, the quality in its squad is undeniable but only by prevailing in the final on July 1 can the Dutch emerge from the shadow of its glorious predecessors.

Fans of the Selecao are still reeling at the near miss by the team of 2004, when unfancied Greece spoiled the party in Lisbon in the nearest the Portuguese has come to international glory.

Figo and friends, tipped for top honours after under-20 World Cup successes in both 1989 and 1991, had been expected to turn on the style and show its rivals, including then under-achieving neighbour Spain, the way to glory.

But the final defeat crushed home expectations and sent the Portuguese, who had banked on flair winning the day, back to the drawing board.

Eight years on and the talismanic presence of Cristiano Ronaldo notwithstanding, most observers expect a more cautious approach from coach Paulo Bento, a tough defensive midfielder in his day who won domestic honours with Sporting.

Portugal could hardly have asked for a tougher group: its Group B rivals - Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark - are all former competition winners.

For a side which only crawled through the back door of the playoffs to qualify at Bosnia's expense, even getting through the group stage looks a daunting prospect.

Bento took over as national team coach from the sacked Carlos Queiroz early in the qualifying campaign, steering Portugal to runner-up spot before seeing off Bosnia in the play-offs.

A subsequent thrashing of world champion Spain - albeit in a friendly - added credit to Bento's ledger, particularly given that the Spanish had dumped the Portuguese out of the last World Cup.

But its most recent outing was an unimpressive goalless stalemate last against tournament co-host Poland.

Portugal will clearly have to step up a gear if it is to get the better of tournament favourite Germany in Lviv on June 9, where it also takes on Denmark four days later before a final match against the Netherlands at Kharkiv on June 17.

"Getting through to the knockout stage is a tough call," admitted Bento, who was suspended with Xavier and Nuno Gomes in the 2000 tournament for jostling the Austrian referee in a controversial 2-1 semi-final defeat to eventual winner France.

With the attacking flair of Ronaldo and Manchester United's occasionally mercurial Nani to call on, the Portuguese should carry a threat. Yet a defence which leaked four goals to Cyprus in a home qualifier must rank as suspect.

Against the Dutch, most fans will hope flair can outflank brawn while also producing a similar result the last time the two faced off, at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

On that occasion a record 16 yellow and four red cards were shown as the Portuguese advanced.

Bento will announce his squad on May 14 in the town of Obidos.

Out-going Russia coach Dick Advocaat has turned to the 35-year-old Rubin Kazan skipper with CSKA Moscow's Vasili Berezutski doubtful due to a thigh problem.

Sharonov, who played for Russia at Euro 2004, has not played for his country since September of that year.

Advocaat's initial 26-man squad, the Dutchman's last selection before he will take over at PSV Eindhoven, contained a few surprises with Sporting Club de Portugal's Marat Izmailov also given a long-awaited return.

The midfielder had been frozen out since 2006 but his stellar end to the season, which helped Sporting to the semi-finals of the Europa League, has prompted his return.

There were also places for uncapped duo Vladimir Granat and teenager Magomed Ozdoev while Spartak Moscow striker Artem Dzyuba, who has just one cap, was also named.

Russian champion Zenit St Petersburg was the best represented club, with seven players, including captain Andrey Arshavin.

The squad is due to meet in Moscow on May 20 with three players set to be cut ahead of the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Russia opens its Group A campaign against Czech Republic in Wrocklaw on June 8 before matches against co-host Poland and Greece.

It is due to play three friendlies before the tournament against Uruguay, on May 25 in Moscow, Lithuania (May 29, Nyon) and Italy (June 1, Zurich).

Russia provisional squad: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit St Petersburg), Anton Shunin (Dinamo Moscow); Aleksandr Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksei Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Vasili Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Granat (Dinamo Moscow), Yuri Zhirkov (Anzhi Makhachkala), Dmitri Kombarov (Spartak Moscow), Roman Sharonov (Rubin Kazan), Roman Shishkin (Lokomotiv Moscow); Igor Denisov (Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (Zenit St Petersburg), Denis Glushakov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Magomed Ozdoev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Semshov (Dinamo Moscow), Marat Izmailov (Sporting Lisbon), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow); Andrey Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kerzhakov (Zenit St Petersburg), Artem Dzyuba (Spartak Moscow), Aleksandr Kokorin (Dinamo Moscow), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Lokomotiv Moscow), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham).

The Scot is confident the 23-year-old will start next season better than he began the current one whether or not he is involved this northern summer for either Roy Hodgson's squad or Great Britain's Olympic team.

Carroll has shown a marked improvement in the last couple of months, as Dalglish himself predicted just over a year ago, and on Tuesday gave former England captain John Terry a torrid night during the 4-1 win over Chelsea.

And Dalglish thinks the £35 million record signing has finally settled in properly at Anfield.

"Andy will benefit from the fact he has been here for a year and has not had any problems with injuries," he said.

"But the quality in the last couple of games has been fantastic and he has been building up to that for the whole season.

"I'm sure he will come back next season very much encouraged by his performances and starting afresh.

"We don't know what is going to happen with Andy yet - whether he is going to be away with England in the championships or chosen for the Olympics.

"I am not going to pick either Stuart Pearce's or Roy's team but if you want to play for your national side - and he does - or the Olympics - and he would do if he was picked - the best way to is to produce the goods on the pitch.

"The players will be judged by the performances and the better they play the more chance they have got."

It has been revealed Manchester United has contacted the English Football Association to state none of its over-age players apart from Ryan Giggs would be available for the Olympics.

Only those not selected for the European Championships will be considered by Pearce and while there is no mandate on clubs to release players, Dalglish is happy for any members of his squad to accept a call-up.

"If the players want to go it is not a problem for us," he added.

One of the other talking points surrounding this northern summer concerns who will captain the national team at Euro 2012.

Reports suggest Hodgson, who will name his first squad next week, has spoken to Steven Gerrard about the tournament but there is no indication he has made a decision on who should wear the armband.

Dalglish did not want to enter the debate on who should take the armband but he spoke of his admiration for Gerrard as a captain and the pride the midfielder would have in leading his country again.

"All we can speak about is Steven and his time at Liverpool Football Club and the service he has given us and the way he has led the club many times by example on and off the pitch," said Dalglish.

"He's a real credit to the club.

"We cannot speak highly enough of Steven but that is our opinion, if someone differs from that then that is up to them.

"I am sure if he was asked (to be captain) he'd be very proud."

Off the field, Fenway Sports Group has continued its restructuring at Liverpool after director of communications Ian Cotton left the club.

Last month the departures of director of football Damien Comolli and head of sports medicine and sports science Peter Brukner were announced.

Press Association Sport understands Cotton was informed on Tuesday of the decision and although his 16-year spell at Anfield officially ends on Sunday's last day of the season Cotton is no longer involved at the club.

"We would like to thank Ian for the important contribution he has made to the club during his long career here," managing director Ian Ayre told liverpoolfc.tv.

"He has played a key role as a member of the executive team in managing our relationships with key external stakeholders in the media and in the community.

"We wish Ian every success in his future career."

Cotton added: "It has been a privilege to be at Liverpool FC for the last 16 years.

"I would like to thank everyone I have worked with for all their support during that time and wish this great club all the best for the future."

Liverpool has had a difficult time public relations-wise after its handling of the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra racism row was widely criticised earlier this season.

Players and manager wearing T-shirts in support of the Uruguay international, who was subsequently banned for eight matches, was generally viewed as a particularly poor PR decision.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the news after Smalling suffered the injury during last week's win over Swansea City at Old Trafford.

"Chris has suffered a bad injury," said Ferguson.

"It is a groin muscle injury and he will miss the European championships.

"We are assessing what to do at the moment but it is a bad injury."

Ferguson confirmed Danny Welbeck would be available for this northern summer's tournament, even though he will miss Monday's (AEST) trip to Sunderland with an ankle injury.

"He is still out just now but he should be fit for the Euros," Ferguson said.

Bilic made the announcement when naming his 27-man provisional squad on Thursday, saying: "This is my last championship in charge."

The 43-year-old has been in charge since 2006 and guided the team to the quarter-finals at Euro 2008.

Croatia has been drawn in a tough group that includes defending champion Spain, but the former West Ham and Everton star is still optimistic.

"I can't say that this side are better than in 2008, but I think I am better," he said.

Croatia's first match at Euro 2012 is against Ireland on June 10. Four-time World Cup winner Italy is also in Group C.

Boasting an array of established talent drawn from Russian clubs and abroad, Russia could be a threat for any national side but is currently battling a list of injury worries and lack of solid match practice.

Without any trophy since the Soviet Union won the European Championships in 1960, Russia unexpectedly lit up the 2008 championships with a glittering performance from a then young side including star forward Andrei Arshavin.

Russia has been drawn with co-host Poland, the Euro-1996 finalist Czech Republic and the 2004 European champion Greece in Group A, with anyone's guess as to who will qualify for the knock-out stages.

Russia's Dutch national manager Dick Advocaat - who is leaving after the championships - said that any two of the teams are capable of reaching the last eight.

Russia finished top of its qualifying group, two points ahead of runner-up Republic of Ireland, and won its only friendly match since against its fellow Euro-2012 finalist Denmark by two goals to one in February.

However, the team's real strength will likely be tested in a friendly with four-time world champion Italy, which is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on June 1, just days before the Russian team's arrival in the Polish capital, Warsaw.

"We are not the favourites for the upcoming event," said Advocaat, whose late announcement that he will not be renewing his contract caused some disquiet in the Russian camp.

"Everything is possible at the European championship. Greece in 2004 and Russia in 2008 proved this, obviously."

Advocaat won the trust of Russian fans during a successful stint at Saint Petersburg club Zenit, which saw the side win the UEFA Cup in 2008 and earned him the nickname the "little general".

He will have to make up for the dismal failure of the side led by his predecessor and fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink to make the World Cup finals after being eliminated by minnows Slovenia.

Advocaat will likely count on experienced veterans at the European championships and there have been concerns about a lack of youthful talent.

But the recent injuries of several of his front-line players may change the plans of the Dutch coach, who said he has already chosen the majority of his players.

CSKA skipper Sergei Ignashevich, who was a definite starter in the centre of defence, is out for an unspecified amount of time with a toe fracture along with midfielder Alan Dzagoev, who suffered a similar injury.

Spartak players Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Sergei Parshivlyuk, both candidates for a place in the Euro squad, were also recently sidelined with injuries and remain uncertain.

The return of CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev, who overcame a knee injury, has been welcomed in the Russian camp.

It limped out of Euro 2008 with three straight losses, followed by a disappointing World Cup campaign in South Africa two years later.

But this northern summer, Greece heads to Poland with a measure of optimism before the tournament's opening match against the co-hosts on June 8 - having lost just one of its last 19 games played under coach Fernando Santos.

The country is in sore need of some respite, suffering through a financial crisis that has thrown many Greeks into poverty and another bad year for professional football, marred by fan violence and bribery scandals.

Santos says he is mindful that Greeks are eager to hear some good news.

"The fans should know that their national team will go to Euro 2012 for the best possible result," the Portuguese coach said while watching the Greek Cup final last month. "Greeks have a passion for football and I know my players will be determined. We have some problems but that's no excuse. We are not going for a holiday."

Shortly after Greece qualified for Euro 2012, national team players handed out meals at a central Athens soup kitchen to give a pre-Christmas boost to a charity drive by the Orthodox Church.

"We see people next to us struggling to make it," Greece goalkeeper Costas Halkias said. "We know they need our help."

The 57-year-old Santos took over as national coach two years ago, maintaining the team's strength as hardworking defenders, while gambling on talented young players, some who even had difficulty getting match time at their clubs.

A veteran Greek league coach, Santos came up with a blend of risk and caution that proved successful: Greece topped its qualifying group unbeaten, bumping Croatia to the playoffs after winning seven of its 10 matches.

Greece, however, remains a low-scoring team with few standouts. Eleven players provided its 14 qualifying goals, fewer than half of them coming from strikers.

Santos has moved away from the principles followed by German predecessor Otto Rehhagel, who used experienced players to stunning effect in 2004 and kept Greece present at major tournaments, but ultimately saw his side become too predictable.

In Euro 2012 qualifying, Santos' gambles were rewarded. Schalke defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos scored on his debut against Malta last June at 19 and added another in Latvia three months later.

And talented winger Yiannis Fetfatzidis, 21, also repaid the coach with two goals, picked for his country despite spending long spells on the bench at Olympiakos.

Through qualification, Greece never forgot its winning formula: make it hard for opponents to score. They conceded five goals en route to Poland and Ukraine, finding safety in Olympiakos captain Vassilis Torosidis and the quietly effective Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Werder Bremen.

"It's very important to keep the team solid - not to have leaks," Santos said before a friendly against Belgium in February that ended 1-1.

"An understanding of team tactics is also a factor (in selection). If we had a player like (Lionel) Messi, it wouldn't matter if he knew anything about tactics, because he's so talented. But we don't ... so I'm looking for players who make the team stronger as a whole."

The ex-Marseille man has not featured at all in qualification for the tournament, his last international appearance coming in August 2010 - shortly before he broke his leg playing for the Magpies against Manchester City.

That cap, Ben Arfa's eighth, came in coach Laurent Blanc's first match in charge against Norway, in which the former Bordeaux boss dropped all the players involved in Les Bleus' atrocious World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Blanc told Eurosport: "We have monitored him and can count on him for the knockout stages of the Euro.

"Sadly after a dispute with Marseille, when I told him to be calm, he left for Newcastle where he suffered a terrible injury.

"I have watched him play again and watched him recuperating at Clairefontaine (national academy); he took some time to come back but his talent was always there and always will be, and he has shown more maturity this season."

Ben Arfa is joined on the list by seven other English-based players, including club-mate Yohan Cabaye and Manchester City pair Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy.

Centre-halves Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) and Younes Kaboul (Tottenham), Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra and Chelsea winger Florent Malouda are also among those called up.

Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema provide exciting attacking options while Adil Rami of Valencia and AC Milan's Philippe Mexes join Koscielny and Kaboul among the central defensive options.

But there is no place for Rami's colleague at the Mestalla, Jeremy Mathieu, despite the adventurous full-back's impressive displays in the Primera Liga this season.

Blanc earlier admitted his inexperienced midfield is an area of concern as he puts together his squad for next month's event in Poland and Ukraine.

The likes of Cabaye, Marseille's Morgan Amalfitano and Arsenal target Yann M'Vila of Rennes - the latter two expected to feature on a second list of home-based players, to be released next week - have little real experience.

Blanc told L'Equipe: "I almost have my list of 23. My final hesitation concerns a long-term problem - the midfield is suffering from a lack of leadership and a lack of players with international experience.

"There are players who have the potential to be in the France team - but players who have proven they can really be a part of it, there are very few."

Blanc's final 23-man squad for the championship must be submitted to UEFA by 29 May.

Fabio Capello's successor will announce his 23-strong party next week before facing the media at Wembley later that day to explain his selections.

Hodgson could have delayed naming the squad until the UEFA deadline of 29 May, but has opted to choose it ahead of a training camp in Spain and friendlies against Norway in Oslo and Belgium at Wembley.

Caretaker boss Stuart Pearce had been prepared to name a provisional squad on 10 May if he had still been in charge.

But Hodgson clearly wants to let his players know as soon as possible so they can start preparing for the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

Hodgson still has matters to address, including the form of former skipper John Terry, who looked ill at ease playing for Chelsea in Tuesday night's 4-1 defeat at Liverpool.

He has yet to meet Terry and Rio Ferdinand to determine whether they will feel comfortable being in the same squad - if selected - with Terry accused of racially abusing Ferdinand's brother, Queens Park Rangers defender Anton, a charge which he denies, during a match at Loftus Road in October last year.

Several positions also have question marks hanging over them with Micah Richards, Glen Johnson, Kyle Walker, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling all right-back contenders.

Hodgson also has to solve the conundrum of who will play up front, given that Wayne Rooney is suspended for the first two games of the tournament and Darren Bent is unlikely to be fit.

Then there is the issue of the captaincy after Terry was stripped of the armband for the second time. Scott Parker led the side out for Pearce's solitary match in charge against Netherlands at Wembley in February.

The squad will meet up on Monday 21 May and travel to Spain for a training camp.

They will fly from Spain to Oslo for the Norway clash and then be given two days off before meeting up again to begin preparations for the game against Belgium in early June.

Another two-day break will follow before the squad reconvene and then travels to its Euro 2012 base in Krakow, Poland.

The Tottenham Hotspur defender has enjoyed a stellar season so far.

A regular under Harry Redknapp, Walker earned his first two England caps in November, has recently been crowned PFA Young Player of the Year and only last week was awarded a new five-year contract at Spurs.

Not bad for a 21-year-old, who four years ago was in the reserve team at Sheffield United and spent last term on loan at Aston Villa.

However, the Sheffield-born defender is not satisfied yet.

He is desperate to be part of the 23-man squad new manager Roy Hodgson is set to unveil for this northern summer's European championships at some point next week.

And there will be no consolation if he fails.

Launching the new Vauxhall youth initiative Football Mash Up in Luton, Walker said: "No chance. It does matter.

"I want to represent my country. It is the thing I have been dreaming about since I was a little kid.

"I used to play countless games on the Play Station. I was always England. I wished I was there and, fingers crossed, I will be on that plane.

"I have an important game for Tottenham against Fulham first.

"Hopefully I can cap off a great season and then it will follow on into the summer."

Whilst there are many who feel Walker will be an automatic choice, he realises the situation is not quite so simple.

Liverpool's Glen Johnson was clearly the preferred pick of former boss Fabio Capello but the Italian's shock exit has offered Manchester City's Micah Richards an opportunity that otherwise might not have arisen.

In addition, Manchester United duo Chris Smalling and Phil Jones both featured for the Three Lions in competitive games before Walker's debut came in the November friendly defeat of world champion Spain at Wembley.

"There is massive competition for the right-back slot," he said.

"But I am still learning and still want to learn. I am trying to be the best I can be."

The 23-year-old Derry-born Sunderland winger made the move after he was sent a message saying he "deserved to be shot" for opting to play for the Republic rather than Northern Ireland.

McClean was the subject of abuse earlier this season when he announced his decision, which is allowed under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Northumbria Police has confirmed it had received no complaint, while a spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: "We do not discuss the security of any individual.

"However, if we receive information that a person's life may be at risk, we will inform them accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk."

McClean is currently on Wearside preparing for Monday's (AEST) final Barclays Premier League fixture of the season against Manchester United.

Black Cats chief executive Margaret Byrne said: "Any incidents of this nature are treated with the utmost seriousness and the club is looking into this matter carefully."

McClean was also inundated with messages of support from both sides of the border after his inclusion in Giovanni Trapattoni's 23-man squad for the finals in Poland and Ukraine.

He has just one senior cap to his name to date, and that from an appearance as a substitute in a friendly against Czech Republic in February.

His emergence from the bench was greeted by rapturous applause by fans at the Aviva Stadium and his form for Sunderland since has earned him a seat on the plane.

The Football Association of Ireland expressed disappointment with the threats aimed at the player, and backed his decision to withdraw from the social network site.

A spokesman said: "It's a pity it has come to this, but it is maybe in his best interests in the short term."

Trapattoni's players will be able to use Twitter during the tournament, which gets under way for them with a game against Croatia in Poznan on 10 June, but under specified guidelines.

Blanc has overseen a revitalisation of the France squad since taking over from Raymond Domenech after Les Bleus had endured a woeful 2010 FIFA World Cup which saw them depart miserably at the group stage.

The former France defender has put together a new-look squad which topped its EURO 2012 qualification group and has been impressive.

However, the likes of Morgan Amalfitano, Yohan Cabaye and Yann M'Vila have little real experience - something Blanc admits could be a problem.

He told L'Equipe: "I almost have my list of 23. My final hesitation concerns a long-term problem - the midfield is suffering from a lack of leadership and a lack of players with international experience.

"There are players who have the potential to be in the France team - but players who have proven they can really be a part of it, there are very few."

Huntelaar will head into the northern summer in career-best form having scored a Bundesliga-best 29 goals, while he also netted 10 times in the UEFA Europa League.

The 28-year-old was also the leading goalscorer in EURO 2012 qualification with 12 goals.

Despite that, Huntelaar faces playing second fiddle for Netherlands with Arsenal's Robin van Persie, who has scooped the major awards in England this season after scoring 30 Barclays Premier League goals, the first choice.

With both players in rare goalscoring touch, Stevens believes his fellow Dutchman Van Marwijk must employ both and do away with his preferred 4-5-1 formation from the qualifiers.

"One has scored many goals in England and the other in Germany - these are two countries where the football played is not bad," he told Schalke's official website.

"Klaas Jan is one of the best strikers in the world inside the penalty area.

"If I was the Dutch national team coach and I have a striker of Klaas Jan at my disposal I would not waste his skills.

"That goes for Van Persie too - I'd just play them together."

Oleksandr Bandura from Metalurh Donetsk and Maksym Koval from Dynamo Kiev were included in the provisional 26-man squad announced on the Ukrainian football federation's website.

The goalkeepers replace Oleksandr Shovkovskiy (shoulder surgery) and Andriy Dykan (facial injury), who have both been ruled out of Euro 2012.

First-choice goalkeeper Oleksandr Rybka is serving a two-year suspension for a doping offence and is likely to be replaced by Andriy Pyatov from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Also missing was Shakhtar Donetsk defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy after an injury-plagued season.

The federation said Blokhin would not comment on the squad until a news conference scheduled for early next week.

Ukraine, which co-hosts the month long event with Poland, will travel to Turkey for a training camp from May 15-24, before heading to Germany and Austria for three friendly games against Estonia, Austria and Turkey.

Ukraine's first match at Euro 2012 is against Sweden on June 11 in Group D, which also includes France and England.

Top goal scorer and talisman Andriy Shevchenko was included in the squad after recovering from injury. He is joined up front by Dynamo Kiev teammate Artem Milevskiy and Dynamo Moscow veteran Andriy Voronin.

Dynamo Kiev is represented by nine players, including young winger Andriy Yarmolenko. Champion Shakhtar Donetsk has six players in the squad.

Defensive midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukraine's most experienced player with 114 caps, will join the team after Bayern Munich faces Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League final on May 20.

Puyol experienced discomfort after the 4-0 defeat of Espanyol and will now go under the knife.

On the club's official website, Barca explained Puyol decided to "undergo an arthroscopy on May 12" and that the approximate recuperation period is six weeks.

That means the 34-year-old is definitely out of Barca's final La Liga game at Real Betis at the weekend and he will also miss coach Pep Guardiola's last game in charge - the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque admitted the news was a major blow for the defending champion, which takes on Italy, Republic of Ireland and Croatia in Group C.

"It's a serious setback, he's a considerable loss not only for what he gives on the pitch, but for what he contributes to the team (off it)," Del Bosque told AS.

Puyol has won 99 caps since making his international debut in 2000 and was part of the Spain squad that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

"It's also a shame that this happened when he was on the verge of playing 100 caps, but hopefully he can get there. He was having a great end to the season," Del Bosque added.

The Spain coach is also waiting on the fitness of Puyol's Barcelona team-mate David Villa, who has been sidelined since Christmas with a broken leg.

Del Bosque will announce his provisional squad for the competition next week, which will then be whittled down when the final 23-man party is confirmed later this month.

Van Marwijk had initially also called up PSV Eindhoven's Erik Pieters but the defender pulled out because tests showed he would not recover from a foot injury in time.

Pieters has played 15 internationals since making his debut in 2010 and was considered Van Marwijk's first choice at left-back.

Van Marwijk said that Pieters' absence was bad news for his team's preparations "but it is particularly bitter news for Erik".

Ibrahim Afellay has been called up despite his season with Barcelona having been severely disrupted by a knee injury.

"We still have the Dutch play-offs, foreign leagues and cup finals as well as the final of the Champions League," Van Marwijk said.

"Furthermore, there are players coming back from injuries.

"But it is a great opportunity to see these players close up."

<b>Dutch squad is:</b> Ibrahim Afellay (Barcelona), Vurnon Anita (Ajax), Mark van Bommel (AC Milan), Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), Wilfred Bouma (PSV Eindhoven), Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Urby Emanuelson (AC Milan), John Heitinga (Everton), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Ola John (FC Twente), Luuk de Jong (FC Twente), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City), Siem de Jong (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), Jeremain Lens (PSV Eindhoven), Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia), Adam Maher (AZ Alkmaar), Joris Mathijsen (Malaga), Erwin Mulder (Feyenoord), Luciano Narsingh (Heerenveen), Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Stijn Schaars (Sporting Lisbon), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Maarten Stekelenburg (AS Roma), Kevin Strootman (PSV Eindhoven), Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham), Nick Viergever (AZ Alkmaar), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Michel Vorm (Swansea), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV Eindhoven), Jetro Willems (PSV Eindhoven).

The furore over Tymoshenko, which has led a string of west European countries to say their leaders will not attend matches in Ukraine, comes on the back of security fears caused by a bombing and worries that fans will shun the tournament due to sky-high accommodation prices and unfinished roads.

Pressed to speak out, European football's governing body UEFA has reaffirmed its longstanding no-politics stance but nonetheless asked Ukrainian tournament organisers to pass on concerns over Tymoshenko to the government.

Tymoshenko, an icon of Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution and arch-rival of Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych, was jailed for seven years last October on charges of abuse of power, after a trial bitterly criticised by the West as appearing politically motivated.

Already a thorn in Ukraine's relations with the European Union, her case became a cause celebre linked to Euro 2012, after she went on hunger strike last month, claiming she had been beaten by prison guards.

In the face of the criticism, Kiev has been unbowed, preferring to focus on preparations for the tournament, which kicks off in a month's time in co-host nation Poland on June 8 and ends on July 1 with the final it to be held in the Ukraine.

"UEFA has made no serious criticism about Ukraine," Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Borys Kolesnikov, the country's Euro pointman, told AFP.

"The tournament is ready and on May 11 we will be transferring the control of the four stadia to UEFA," he added, declining to comment specifically on the boycott threats.

As the row threatens to tarnish the first-ever edition of the quadrennial tournament behind the former Iron Curtain, Poland, which since the collapse of communism in the region two decades ago has become a vocal human rights watchdog, has argued against a boycott of its neighbour.

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, himself a communist-era dissident, dubbed the stay-away calls "completely inappropriate", contrasting them with the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics sparked by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Underlining the message, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he understood the desire to stand with Tymoshenko, but that "nothing is stopping us from showing this solidarity clearly and strongly during the sporting event itself".

Beyond the Tymoshenko case, security concerns have been fuelled by a series of bomb blasts on April 27 in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk that injured 30 people.

Dnipropetrovsk is not among the eight host cities - four each in Poland and Ukraine - of the two nations' first major international sports event.

However, on May 21 it is to host a stop in tour that is giving fans a chance to see the tournament trophy, currently in Poland and due to arrive in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on May 11.

The hunt is still on for the bombings' unknown perpetrators, but UEFA has said it has received clear security guarantees from Ukraine for teams and fans alike.

But another worry for supporters is their wallets, as national team managers prepare to announce squads for the tournament.

Last month, UEFA chief Michel Platini blasted "crooks" in Ukraine's tourist sector for hiking accommodation prices, amid a mismatch between supply and demand.

For example, two berths in a huge tent in the eastern city of Donetsk were selling online for $160 for the June 27 semi-final.

Such prices have stoked fears that fans will stay away, underlined by the unprecedented failure to sell out matches to England's normally ardent fans for its group games in Donetsk.

As the tournament nears, however, the situation seems to be improving, with youth hostel beds in Donetsk now going for $27 a night on that date.

But there is a last-minute rush to open new airport terminals in Donetsk and Kiev, due this month, and concerns linger about the readiness of Ukraine's aging highways.

Draxler, the 18-year-old midfielder was the only uncapped outfield member of Low's 27-man squad, which will be reduced to 23 men by May 29, while 19-year-old ter Stegen is one of four goalkeepers, one of whom will remain in Germany this summer.

Draxler, who would also be eligible to play for Germany's Under-19s this summer, is one of 12 midfielders selected by Low with the likelihood one or two will be trimmed from the final squad, but Low is looking forward to taking a closer look at him over the coming weeks.

"Julian Draxler has a lot of potential, he is very young and very quick in the one-on-one situations, and very intelligent," said Low after announcing his squad in Rastatt.

"He still does not quite have the consistency, also because he had other things to deal with, such as attending school, and he is still young and could play for the under-19s, but we think he has a great deal of potential for the coming years and we think this nomination could give him a further boost.

"I spoke again with him this morning and his coach Huub Stevens and both are very pleased and we feel he has a great deal of potential."

Ter Stegen's form for Gladbach this season has caught the eye and he enters into a three-man battle for two places alongside number one Manuel Neuer in Poland and Ukraine.

"Ter Stegen has played a fantastic season with excellent performances for his young age," said Low.

"He is already very mature and has a good presence and that is why we chose him."

Ter Stegen joins Tim Wiese and Ron Robert Zieler in the 27-man squad, but Low has not yet decided which of the trio will be left at home.

"At the moment, we have no reason to make any final decisions," said the Germany coach.

"We will do that on May 29. All of the keepers who are here have strengths and they have proved it several times so we have no reason to decide completely yet.

"We have got to remember what can happen in preparations - you can get injuries and realise other things, therefore we will decide which squad to take on May 29, before then we will gather our impressions in training."

Of the players who were expected to be in the squad, but have been left out, Bayer Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes stands out.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who made his national team debut last October, and his team-mate Sven Bender have been given the nod ahead of him.

"Rolfes has always been with us and he is reliable when in top form," explained Low.

"That has not always been the case for him this season while Ilkay Gundogan has played very well particularly in the second half of the season."

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is also included, despite missing the last three months injured, while Lazio forward Miroslav Klose is also in the squad ready to prove his fitness after a long injury absence.

"We have spoken with Per and he has put in a lot of effort in getting back to fitness," said Low.

"I spoke to him and his coach Arsene Wenger yesterday (Sunday). We agreed that he will fly with the squad to Sardinia on Friday.

"Wenger said he is not ready to play yet so he has welcomed us taking him with us for training.

"He has got to get back to competitive levels of fitness and we hope to get him there over the coming weeks.

"We expect Miro to start next weekend (for Lazio), at least that is his agreement with his coach there.

"I hope both of them get into form. At the end of preparations, I will have to judge if they are capable of coping with the strains."

Germany head into a training camp in Sardinia on Friday, albeit without members of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund's squads as they meet in the DFB-Pokal final on Saturday.

Dortmund's players will then link up with the squad for the second phase of its preparations in the south of France from May 18, although Low will have to wait even longer before his Bayern contingent joins the squad after the Champions League final on May 19.

Since those players are also then involved in a friendly match with their club against Holland, they will be given a few days of rest before completing Low's squad ahead of a friendly match against Switzerland on May 26, just days before the deadline for Low's final 23-man squad to be submitted to UEFA.

Germany will also play Israel on May 31 before the final 23 players fly out to Germany's base for the competition in Gdansk on June 4.

Germany's first group fixture is against Portugal on June 9 before they face Holland on June 13 and Denmark in their final group game on June 17.

The squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen), Ron Robert Zieler (Hannover), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Defenders: Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm (all Bayern Munich), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer (both Borussia Dortmund), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Sven Bender, Mario Gotze, Ilkay Gundogan (all Borussia Dortmund), Lars Bender, Andre Schurrle (both Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Schalke), Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger (all Bayern Munich), Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil (both Real Madrid), Marco Reus (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Forwards: Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Cacau (Stuttgart), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Lazio)

Carroll, the club's record signing, was its outstanding player in the 2-1 FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea despite only coming on as a substitute with 35 minutes to go.

By that time the Reds were trailing to goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba after a woeful performance allowed the Stamford Bridge side to seize the initiative.

Carroll's introduction changed the dynamic of the game almost totally in Liverpool's favour as the 23-year-old struck a well-taken goal and had a late header clawed off the line by goalkeeper Petr Cech.

But what was more impressive was the former Newcastle's forward's all-round contribution as he worked hard to get involved and link-up play.

He has not had the best of starts to his Anfield career, scoring just eight goals this season, but has shown signs of progress in the last couple of months.

Gerrard believes that is something new England manager - and briefly Carroll's boss at Liverpool last year - Roy Hodgson should take into consideration.

"Credit to Andy who came on and played brilliantly well," said the captain of Carroll's introduction.

"He changed the way we played. We were a lot better with him in the team, we were a lot more direct, we created more, we were more of a threat.

"I think his form the last two or three months has been fantastic and he is certainly pushing for a place back in the England squad in my opinion."

Ben Arfa, 25, won the last of his eight caps in August 2010 before suffering a badly broken leg playing for the English side.

However, he has since returned to full fitness and has been outstanding in Newcastle's charge for UEFA Champions League qualification.

"I have not waited until his most recent performances to start following Hatem," Blanc told TF1's Telefoot programme.

"I can remember when he was recovering from his injury at (France's national training centre) Clairefontaine and nobody was thinking about Hatem Ben Arfa.

"We know he has great talent, this is not something that we have discovered in the last three games.

"It is very nice of his coach (Alan Pardew) to say that Laurent Blanc should take him to the Euros but he rarely picked him at the start of the season.

"He waited a long time before picking him, but now I would say he has become a contender again."

Blanc will name an initial list of foreign-based players selected for the squad in midweek, before announcing the domestic candidates on 15 May.

A final list of 23 players will then be named by the UEFA deadline of 29 May.

Another player trying to work his way back into Blanc's thoughts is Lyon playmaker Yoann Gourcuff.

He has had a wretched time with injuries this season, starting just seven league games, but Blanc admits a lack of alternatives in the final third of the field means the door is still open for Gourcuff.

"His season has been chaotic," Blanc said of the 25-year-old, who played under him at Bordeaux.

"He has a chance of going to the Euros because we realise that we don't have many certainties in the attacking domain, so that still leaves him with a little opportunity."

Coach Cesare Prandelli and his players will visit the concentration camp, now a memorial for those who died in the Holocaust, on 6 June.

Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete says the "purpose of the trip is to honour and remember those who lost their lives" and that the "national team is a symbol of the country."

In November, the Azzurri trained on a field in southern Italy that was confiscated from a local crime syndicate to show its support in the fight against organised crime.

Lewington had been tipped to join former Craven Cottage boss Hodgson during the northern summer and now Fulham and the FA have agreed a deal for them to renew a working relationship they had at club level.

A statement issued by the FA read: "The FA and Fulham Football Club can confirm that Ray Lewington will join Roy Hodgson's England coaching staff at the end of the Premier League season to work with the team during the European Championship."

Hodgson said: "I'm delighted that Fulham have agreed to Ray joining the England coaching staff for the summer. I know Ray well and enjoyed working with him at Craven Cottage.

"He's a very good coach and the players will I'm sure enjoy working with him.

"We're currently finalising the rest of the coaching staff but it's great to have Ray confirmed.

"I'd like to thank Fulham for agreeing to this."

Lewington will return to Fulham in time for next season.

Fans describe it as "kitschy" and a far cry from the Shakira hit of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The song Koko Euro Spoko - sung by a loud chorus of women from the rural folk band Jarzebina - won a contest this week for the official Euro 2012 song.

The band includes mostly solid or elderly country women who wear traditional white headdresses and long skirts as they sing of Poland's and co-hosts Ukraine's happiness in hosting the tournament.

Fans online have called the song "kitschy" and an "embarrassment" for Poland.

Others have said that voters had played a joke in choosing the song over several hits from better-known Polish stars.

But the song has some defenders who say that Poles should not be ashamed of their rural traditions.

"We really have nothing to be embarrassed about," performer Pawel Konnak told TVN 24 on Friday.

"Let's not pretend that we, as a nation, were born on the streets of New York or Las Vegas. Most of us come from the rural parts of our nation."

"This is not good for the image of the match, for the image of football. Respect means also respecting referees," said the Italian, best known for his hard stare and bald head, who hung up his whistle in 2005 and is now UEFA's chief refereeing officer.

"So players will be informed that mobbing is not allowed, and a referee knows that if they are surrounded by players, some yellow cards, one or more, are to be expected," he told reporters at a training session in Warsaw, capital of Euro 2012 co-host Poland.

Collina said that players would also be given short shrift for piling into a dispute with their opponents.

"This is something that we want to ban from the field. We don't want to have 20 players in a mass confrontation. Players are aware, because this is something that is not new, that if a mass confrontation occurs on the field of play, at least two yellow cards will be given to the initiators of the mass confrontation," he underlined.

A total of 80 match officials tapped by UEFA for the championships in Poland and Ukraine are spending a week in Warsaw - including the 12 referees, from England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

Collina said they were undergoing fitness tests and intensive workshops on the theory and practice of refereeing, to help make the right decisions on the day, notably over tackles.

"One of the main goals to be achieved on the pitch is to protect the players. Respect also means protecting players. We reminded the referees to be very, very careful in dealing with challenges that could create problems, that could endanger the safety of a player," he said.

At Euro 2012, which kicks off on June 8, UEFA will continue its experiment of having six officials in a drive to deal with disputed decisions.

Adding two extra assistants (linesmen), plus a standby, to the traditional trio of a referee and two assistants (linesmen) has proven its mettle over two Champions League seasons and three in the Europa League, Collina noted.

"It is clear that many good decisions were taken on the field of play," he said.

Asked whether he supported calls to use video to resolve contentious decisions - something rejected by football's governing bodies on the grounds of disrupting the game's flow, despite it being a success in tennis, cricket and rugby - he said the extra officials seemed a better solution for now.

The names of all the officials for the first 12 matches - half of the group stage - will only be made public three days before Euro 2012 starts.

On the basis of their performance, they will be allotted games for the rest of the group stage, while ongoing assessments will decide who oversees the quarter- and semi-finals, and the final.

Welbeck was caught by a nasty challenge from Nigel de Jong in the second-half, which sparked a furious touchline row between Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini.

It is not known whether he sustained the injury in that incident.

However, if the damage is bad, it could have serious consequences for Roy Hodgson, who seemed likely to select Welbeck in his European Championship squad.

Ferguson was certainly not happy with De Jong's challenge, nor the manner in which Mancini was talking to fourth official Mike Jones.

Jones stood between the pair at one point during the row to prevent it spilling over before they were eventually pulled apart by members of their respective backroom teams.

"He refereed the game," said Ferguson.

"He was out on that touchline the whole game haranguing the referee, the fourth official and the linesmen.

"The minute I come off the bench for bad tackle by De Jong on Welbeck, he was out again.

"He can't have it both ways. He's been complaining about referees this season but he won't be complaining tonight that's for sure."

Ferguson will have no doubts over where United lost its Premier League title if City wins its next two games.

Manchester United will relinquish its crown if City win its final two matches, at Newcastle next Sunday and then at home to QPR a week later.

Vincent Kompany's header in first-half stoppage time did the damage, with United finding nothing in response.

But Ferguson concedes it was the loss of those two goals in the final seven minutes at Everton that really saw his team stumble, allowing City back into a title race it seemed out of when it was eight points behind just four matches ago.

"You can look back at all sorts of games but you've got to look at the Everton one," he said.

"That was a ridiculous performance for the last seven minutes to lose two goals. That's maybe cost us the league.

"We know we need to win two games of football, that's another way of looking at it. Of course, we're certainly not in the driving seat any more."

The Dutchman's deal expires after the tournament in Poland and Ukraine and it has been claimed he will not take up an option for a further two years.

"After the European championship I'll go," Advocaat told the Sport-Express newspaper.

It is thought the 64-year-old, who succeeded countryman Guus Hiddink in the role in May 2010, fancies another crack at club management

"I can't tell you the reason yet but, knowing about all the speculation, I'll say right now it's not about the money," he added.

"I haven't told the players yet. I'm sure that this news won't influence our preparation for the Euros. We will make every effort to have a successful tournament."

The widely-travelled Advocaat has coached teams to domestic title success on four occasions, once each with PSV Eindhoven in Holland and Russia's Zenit St Petersburg and twice with Rangers in Scotland.

He has also had spells in charge of Holland, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and Belgium.

With Miroslav Klose rated as doubtful for this summer's tournament, Low may have to call on another striker who has not been part of his squads recently, and Helmes has emerged as a potential candidate.

However, the 28-year-old, whose last cap came in August 2010 when he scored in a 2-2 draw with Denmark, told NDR television that he is not building his hopes up.

"Three or four months ago, that was utopian, but now things are going well and there is a lot of speculation," he said.

"But that doesn't really interest me much. We will just see what the national team coach does."

Helmes was training with Wolfsburg's reserves before Christmas after his club's coach Felix Magath said he did not fit into his plans.

Magath even tried to sell the former Cologne striker in the winter, but reinstated him to his first-team squad a day after the transfer deadline passed.

Since then, Helmes has scored nine goals in nine games to help lift the Wolves into contention for a place in Europe next season, making him a candidate for the national team once again.

"I have had contact with the team manager and (assistant coach) Hansi Flick, which is positive," revealed Helmes.

"I know that I am rated highly there."

Borussia Monchengladbach striker Mike Hanke is also being linked with a return to the national team, although his form has dipped in recent weeks.

Klose's season is already over due to injury and doubts about whether he will be fit to play at all in Poland and Ukraine could lead to his exclusion from the 23-man squad.

"I am really worried," said Low in the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. "He has not played for weeks and has been injured for a long time, therefore we have got to see if we can get him back into the rhythm which is required for a tournament in just a few weeks."

Hodgson had only recently revealed he was due to miss this summer's Euro 2012 finals - where he was to work as a member of UEFA's technical study group - after being urged by his wife to take a rare break from football.

Yet now the West Bromwich Albion head coach, whose contract runs out this summer, is set to lead England in Poland and Ukraine providing, as is widely expected, he agrees to become Fabio Capello's successor.

It all seems a long way removed from the dark days of his Anfield tenure.

Hodgson, who will be 65 this summer, was shown the exit door at Liverpool after just half a season in charge, having succeeded Rafael Benitez in the summer of 2010.

His spell at Liverpool - which was marred by a Carling Cup defeat at home to League Two side Northampton and a string of below-par league performances - marked a rare failure in a managerial career that began in Sweden in 1976.

Seven Swedish league titles and two Swedish Cups followed at Halmstad and Malmo over the next 13 years, while Scandinavia continued its benevolence towards Hodgson in a later spell at FC Copenhagen, with whom he won the Danish league and cup double in 2001.

Hodgson also managed with varying degrees of success at Inter Milan, Blackburn Rovers, Viking, Grasshopper and Udinese, while head coaching roles at international level with Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Finland dovetailed with his club experience to give the 64-year-old a unique perspective on the game.

Hodgson's return to English football as boss of Fulham in 2007 heralded a more settled period in his career that went some way to removing the journeyman tag that had been attached to him.

In nearly three years at Craven Cottage, Hodgson transformed the club from relegation battlers to top-10 candidates and famously led the club to the final of the 2010 UEFA Europa League - where it lost in extra-time to Atletico Madrid.

His time at Liverpool doubtless damaged his reputation but the veteran boss still had a host of admirers.

Certainly West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace saw the merits of bringing Hodgson in on an 18-month deal to save the Baggies from relegation after sacking Roberto Di Matteo midway through last season.

Hodgson's organisational and tactical nous allied to skilful man-management brought together a squad which had floundered under the Italian. Nineteen points from the final 12 games meant Albion comfortably avoided the drop, and this season they have gone from strength to strength.

Yet Hodgson has been in no hurry to commit his future to West Brom despite his advisors opening talks with the club.

Although he has shown admirable diplomacy in fielding endless questions relating to the England job since Capello's departure earlier this year, it is tempting to believe that Hodgson always knew England would come knocking - despite the very public clamour for Harry Redknapp to get the nod.

Now that the four-man FA board has made its move, it seems inconceivable that one of the world's most experienced football personalities will pass up the chance to finally lead his country.

The FA has named Hodgson as its top target after receiving permission from West Bromwich Albion to talk to its manager about the vacancy created by Fabio Capello's departure in February.

Their stance is a surprise given Tottenham Hotspur boss Redknapp was the overwhelming favourite.

And Mark Perryman believes fans should be told why Redknapp appears to have been overlooked.

He told Press Association Sport: "I think first of all, the FA needs to be open in terms of the situation.

"It's almost inconceivable they haven't approached Redknapp.

"I think the fans and the broader sporting public have a right to know what the situation is with Redknapp.

"It's quite conceivable he has turned the job down but fans have the right to know.

"I am not saying Hodgson is the wrong man but clearly there was a popular mood around Redknapp and in the spirit of open governance, let's be clear what the situation was there."

Perryman was not convinced Redknapp was the right man for the job anyway.

He added: "The fans I know ... there wasn't the degree of enthusiasm for Redknapp which was widely reported.

"There are enough fans who have been following the game for long enough to know he has won one trophy in 34 years.

"And also fans remember the last time we appointed the people's choice: Kevin Keegan. That was an unmitigated disaster.

"I don't think there will be a great wave of excitement about Hodgson but given that (Jose) Mourinho or (Pep) Guardiola are not likely to take the job ...

"I don't think there is a great wave of enthusiasm about England in general at the moment - there are only 5000 going to the European Championships which is one of the lowest travelling supports for a very long time."

Perryman was impressed by Hodgson's experience and called for him to be given time to mould a team.

"Hodgson is the kind of guy who is willing to take the job on. He is a quiet and unassuming guy but the thing that impresses me is that when you look at his record he has managed all over Europe and few Englishmen have had the balls to do that," he said.

"That gives us an inkling of his potential.

"We need someone to bed the team down, we need to look long-term and Hodgson could quietly, methodically rebuild the set up around the England team. He has to be there until 2014."