(Reuters) - Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph has been ruled out of England's 23-man squad for next month's European Championship in France because of a groin strain.
Coach Roy Hodgson said on Thursday that Delph, who has struggled with injuries this season, would miss Friday's friendly against Australia in Sunderland and will now only be on his standby list for the tournament.
"I've spoken to him and he's stayed in Manchester," Hodgson told reporters.
"I've made it clear to him that this means he probably won't be with us in the final 23 – unless, of course, we have injuries.
"I've actually put him on the standby list, which he understands and accepts. I don't think it's going to be a really long-term injury for him so, if I needed him and I wanted him to come with us, it would be easy for me to ask him to do so."
Hodgson said Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, who missed England's 2-1 win over Turkey last weekend in the first of three warm-up games for Euro 2016, had not trained for two days because of a calf problem.
The England coach added that Manchester United's 18-year-old striker Marcus Rashford, one of the English Premier League's emerging players this season, would play a "serious part in the game".
Captain Wayne Rooney will start the friendly on the bench.
