Hoddle warns Gascoigne

Paul Gascoigne is not guaranteed a place in England's squad for the World Cup finals, coach Glenn Hoddle has said

Paul Gascoigne is not guaranteed a place in England's squad for the World Cup finals, coach Glenn Hoddle has said. "He's not 100 per cent fit so I can't say at this time he's 100 per cent in the squad," Hoddle told BBC Radio.

"At the moment there are 30 players in the squad and I've got to whittle them down."

Gascoigne has struggled with injury for much of the season and Hoddle is clearly concerned about his fitness with the finals in France less than a month away.

"I think he is falling back a little bit now," said Hoddle. "He's got to come 50-50 with me and I'm sure if he can we'll have a good World Cup.

"Certain things about him worry me, but there are certain things I see that show he's still got the genius in him."

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • What’s making headlines in the rugby world? Listen to The Counter Ruck podcast with Nathan Johns

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered to your phone