Euro 2012: Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand axed by Roy Hodgson

Rio Ferdinand’s name will not appear on England’s Euro 2012 roster when it’s announced on Wednesday afternoon.

By leaving Ferdinand off of the team sheet for the tournament, Hodgson has resolved the issue of having the United defender and Chelsea’s FC John Terry in the same dressing room.

John Terry is currently awaiting a Westminster magistrates’ court hearing on the ninth of July for the alleged racial abuse of Ferdinand’s brother, Anton, from Queen’s Park Rangers.

It’s thought that the rift between Rio Ferdinand and John Terry has already divided loyalties in England’s dressing room.

To add to the drama, it’s been reported by The Guardian that Phil Jones will be picked for the squad.

Jones, a defender who is lower than Ferdinand in the pecking order at United, will most likely feature at the back with John Terry, Joleon Lescott, and Ashley Cole.

Had Chris Smalling of United, also a player far behind Ferdinand at Old Trafford, been healthy, it’s believed that he too would have been picked ahead of Rio.

If Hodgson has really dropped @rioferdy5 from the Euro 2012 squad - then that's a ridiculous decision.

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Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 15, 2012

Meanwhile, Manchester United legend, Ryan Giggs, has suggested that Paul Scholes, who just today signed a one-year contract extension with United, should feature for Hodgson’s side this summer:

“If he started the first game against France, he’d be one of the best players on the pitch,” said the Welshman, referring to England’s opening match at the competition. “Him and Xavi are the same sort of players. They just control the tempo of great teams. To do that you need to be a special player and that’s what [Scholes] does. In any team in any tournament he would shine. It’s not like he just turns up for games and does it. He does it every day in training.”