Rashford prepares to debut for England

Coach Roy Hodgson confirmed that the 18-year-old striker will make his debut for the "Three Lions" in the friendly match against Australia tonight, May 27.

Marcus Rashford has been a big name recently, when he was promoted to the Man Utd first team in the second half of last season and immediately shone with many important goals. Thanks to that, he became one of 26 players called up to the England team to prepare for Euro 2016.

Having picked up an injury in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace and missed the friendly against Türkiye on May 22, Rashford's chances of making an impact and making the 23-man squad to France in early June are limited.

However, Roy Hodgson believes Rashford "has something special" and this is the opportunity for the young striker to show his ability. The England manager admitted he is very cautious when speaking about Rashford and declared that the opportunity to participate in Euro 2016 is still open for his new student.

Rashford has the opportunity to wear the England team shirt for the first time. Photo: Reuters.

"He had a muscle strain when he was training with us. We hope it will get better, let's wait and see. We are waiting for him and I cannot reveal more information. Let's wait, if he is fit, I will play him, if not, he will have to sit out," said the former Liverpool coach.

Hodgson used the in-form strikers Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy against Türkiye. The two stars repaid his trust by scoring a goal each in a 2-1 win. However, Hodgson wanted to experiment further up front. Jamie Vardy's absence due to his wedding allowed him to do so.

"If Sturridge wasn't fit, I think you'd want Rashford in the starting line-up. I'm happy with that, I'm more pleased he's coped with it. It doesn't take much investigation to know that I wanted to rest Vardy and Kane. My initial intention was to pick Sturridge, Rashford and one other. With those two off, it's pretty clear that Rashford will be a big part of the game," Hodgson said.

According to VNE