• England

Mourinho: Cole and Lampard deserve World Cup spots

ESPN staff
March 1, 2014
Frank Lampard was a key figure during the qualification campaign © Getty Images
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Jose Mourinho has urged England manager Roy Hodgson to take Chelsea duo Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole to the World Cup because of their contributions during qualifying.

Hodgson admitted he could drop a 'big name' from the final 23-man squad for Rio in the summer, and Cole's position is under threat given the recent call-up of Southampton's Luke Shaw for the friendly against Denmark next week.

Lampard is also another name who could miss out, with the likes of Ross Barkley and Jordan Henderson showing good form for their clubs and putting themselves in the World Cup frame. However, Mourinho insists his two Chelsea players deserve to be on the plane for Brazil.

"It's not my decision, but I'd try to be pragmatic," Mourinho said. "So if, one day, I am the national team manager of any country, I think the players that take me to the European Championships or to the World Cup are the players I'm going to take to the European Championships or the World Cup.

Lampard took part in seven of England's 10 games during an unbeaten qualification campaign, and Cole played in the crucial ties with Poland, Ukraine and Montenegro.

And Mourinho feels the players who were selected regularly to get England to the World Cup should not be left out.

"They took me, by qualifying. After that, I take them on my plane. I don't think it makes a lot of sense if you trust some players to do qualification and, after that, you don't select them and pick others instead," he added.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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