• Premier League

Hodgson to make Rio call

Rio Ferdinand may be recalled to the England squad following John Terry's international retirement © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Ferguson: England exile good for Rio
  
• News: Capello made Terry statement
  
• News: FA: Terry position wasn't untenable
  
• News: Grant: Terry is not a racist
  
• News: Lineker: Terry retirement 'sensible'
  
• News: Roy 'reluctantly accepted' Terry call
  
• News: Terry retires from internationals
  
• Profile: Rio Ferdinand | John Terry

The Football Association has told ESPN that Rio Ferdinand's international future lies in Roy Hodgson's hands.

Hodgson insisted Ferdinand's failure to win a call-up for Euro 2012 was entirely due to football reasons, but the presence of John Terry is thought to have precluded his involvement.

With Terry having announced his international retirement ahead of this week's FA disciplinary hearing into allegations that he racially abused Anton Ferdinand, there is the possibility that the Manchester United defender could return to the squad for next month's World Cup qualifier with San Marino.

Ferdinand is reported to be keen to link up with the national side again and is believed to be awaiting developments. Whether Hodgson believes a recall would serve to invite further controversy remains to be seen, but the manager will be given full responsibility for making the decision.

"There is nothing to stop Rio being selected," an FA insider told ESPN. "That decision is entirely the prerogative of the England manager."

The hearing, which began at Wembley on Monday and is expected to last three days, has already seen Anton Ferdinand provide his version of events.

Terry is due to be grilled as to when he realised the repercussions of his verbal exchange with the QPR defender during Chelsea's defeat on October 23 last year and whether he had been influenced in his decision to apologise to his opponent immediately after the game.

It is possible that the panel will call on Terry's mobile phone records to verify that piece of information, although it remains unclear as to whether they have been requested.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.