ROY HODGSON has urged his England players to deliver a rousing statement of intent against Belgium at Wembley this afternoon to raise the nation’s expectations ahead of Euro 2012 and ensure the team depart for the tournament on a high.

The manager will offer Scott Parker another opportunity to gain much-needed match practice against the Belgians and, with England’s opening Group D game against France just nine days away, will revert to a backline dominated by personnel from Chelsea. Hodgson is still considering who will play wide but, while Danny Welbeck will gain his fifth cap at some stage, Ashley Young and Andy Carroll operated in close partnership in training.

That pairing is expected to start up front but, while Hodgson insisted his first match in charge at Wembley should be considered a “preparatory” occasion with the tournament in mind – “in the same way as last Saturday’s win in Norway” – he has impressed upon his players the need to generate some momentum in the build-up to the finals. “I want the players to go and show how enthusiastic they are about this tournament, how determined they are to work their socks off to get the best results possible,” he said.

“I want them to show that their attitude towards this tournament is going to be: ‘No fair-minded person will be able to say we didn’t give our best, we didn’t work hard enough or want it badly enough.’ If they can give a performance that shows that then it’ll make me happy. This will be a fantastic occasion: 90,000 people, at Wembley Stadium, on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee . . . it’ll be a very big occasion for me personally.”

England will depart for Poland next week having seen their prospects potentially damaged by injuries to the likes of Jack Wilshere, Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard, and with Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two matches. Theirs is an inexperienced squad, only nine of whom have ever featured in a major tournament. Yet, while all concerned remain realistic, there is optimism too.

“Maybe people are looking at this squad, no Wilshere, [Tom] Cleverley, Barry, Lampard and wondering whether we’re capable of coping without those players,” said the captain, Steven Gerrard. “But we’re quietly confident. We don’t want to raise expectations unnecessarily and are all aware we’ve under-delivered in previous tournaments. But let’s see what happens. This is a very difficult tournament. It’s harder to win than the World Cup and, if you look at our previous form in tournaments, you’d say no [we can’t win it]. But if you look at Greece and Denmark [in 2004 and 1992], Liverpool in 2005 and Chelsea in this year’s Champions League, you still have that bit of belief.”

Joe Hart will start today, with Ashley Cole, John Terry, Gary Cahill and Glen Johnson across the back, and Gerrard operating in midfield with Parker, who continues to undergo regular treatment on his troublesome Achilles injury. The Tottenham Hotspur player is being monitored regularly by medical staff – “I ask him every day how he is, and he says he’s fine,” said Hodgson – but, as in Oslo, he is unlikely to play the full 90 minutes against the Belgians. Jordan Henderson, called up as a replacement for Lampard, may be offered a second-half opportunity to prove his credentials.

The Football Association has confirmed that England’s players will be allowed to update their followers on Twitter during the tournament, unlike their counterparts in the Spanish squad.

Today’s friendly against Belgium will be notable for its use of a Hawk-Eye goal-line system, and Hodgson said he welcomed the opportunity to explore a technology that has long been in demand. “I don’t think there are too many people who have objections to goal-line technology,” he said. “I side with all my colleagues on that one. It’s an advance, and one which I hope will prove successful and at least banish some of the ghosts of the past.”

Hodgson revealed that he scouted Belgium star Eden Hazard as a potential signing for Liverpool during his short stint as manager there.

Hazard is on the verge of completing a €35 million move from Lille to Chelsea after choosing the Champions League winners ahead of both Manchester clubs. But before that he will show why he is in such demand against England at Wembley today.