England vs Australia team news: Marcus Rashford expected to start with Daniel Sturridge a doubt

It is England's final game before the May 31 deadline for 23-man squads to be submitted

Marcus Rashford during England training (Getty)

Marcus Rashford is in line to take advantage of Daniel Sturridge’s latest fitness scare and potentially claim a place in England’s Euro 2016 squad by starting Friday’s friendly against Australia at the Stadium of Light.

Liverpool forward Sturridge has become a doubt for the fixture – England’s final game before the May 31 deadline for 23-man squads to be submitted to Uefa – after missing training at Manchester City’s CFA Campus on Wednesday afternoon due to concerns over a calf injury which was required a scan 24 hours earlier.

Although England manager Roy Hodgson is confident that Sturridge will be available to play in Friday’s game if required, Rashford is now expected to be handed his senior debut from the start on Wearside with Hodgson preparing to experiment with his starting line-up against the Socceroos.

Jamie Vardy, who was absent from training on Wednesday due to his wedding in Cheshire, and Tottenham forward Harry Kane will be rested by Hodgson against the Australians.

And with captain Wayne Rooney due to play in a midfield role, Sturridge’s fitness doubt has left Manchester United teenager Rashford in pole position to start – just three months after making his first-team debut for his club.

Hodgson is due to finalise his 23-man squad over the weekend, having named a 26-man squad for the friendlies against Turkey, Australia and Portugal, who visit Wembley next Thursday.

And although Rashford has yet to pull on a senior England, having made just one appearance for the Under-20s since bursting onto the scene, the 18-year-old’s performances for United in recent weeks have prompted Hodgson to admit that the youngster has a chance of breaking into the squad for France by impressing in training this week.

Sturridge’s injury problems at Liverpool have eased recently, with the former Chelsea forward playing in the Europa League final defeat against Sevilla a week ago.

But his absence from preparations for the Australia game have now opened the door for Rashford to threaten his place in France.

Meanwhile, Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier has insisted that England must become more ‘streetwise’ if they are to succeed at Euro 2016.

The 22-year-old, who progressed through Sporting Lisbon’s academy after spending his childhood years in Portugal, is expected to earn a place in Hodgson’s squad as a defensive midfielder following an impressive campaign at White Hart Lane.

But having helped Tottenham shed their ‘soft’ tag this season – most notably in the recent fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge -- Dier admits that England must do the same.

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge is a doubt for the fixture (Getty)

“I think for a long time, Tottenham have had a certain image which I don’t think this group of players and our manager enjoy,” Dier said. “Obviously we are trying to change that. It isn’t easy and it is going to take time but that is our aim.

“I think international football is a bit different. I grew up in Portugal where it’s quite similar and I don’t think it’s as aggressive, it’s got more of an intelligent edge.

“But I think it’s important that we have that. There’s a lot of European and international teams have that intelligent edge as much as an aggressive edge in the things they do. We’ve got to be like that, too.

“I don’t think they go a round kicking people. They win fouls in clever places on the pitch, they keep possession, they know how to wind people up, they know how agitate people. We can’t fall for that. We can learn from that.

“But ‘streetwise’ is the perfect way to put it. European teams and nations are like that.

“I think the English are a bit too honest and hard-working at times. We need to be clever, but we don’t want to lose that English attitude either.”