Midfielder Frank Lampard‘s participation in the European Championship is in doubt following a thigh injury he suffered during training on Wednesday. He will undergo a scan Thursdayto assess the injury, which prompted England coach Roy Hodgson to put Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson on stand-by in case the 33-year-old Chelsea man is unableto recover in time.
Lampard had recently joined the England squad after an extended break following Chelsea’s triumph against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. England’s firstgroup match against France is just 12 days away and Hodgson can ill-afford any more injury problems in midfield after Manchester City’s Gareth Barry was ruled out of the Euros becauseof an abdominal tear.
Although Lampard is not certain to beat out Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker for the central starting midfield berths, his excellentform in helping Chelsea win the FA Cup and Champions League earlier this month cannot be discounted. Hodgson is gambling on the fitness of Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck, whohas not played since April 30 when he sustained an ankle injury in the derby defeat at Manchester City. Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has also been struggling with an infectedtoe.