Joel Ward left the pitch against Liverpool early, much like he did in the previous game at Stamford Bridge. However, unlike the Chelsea knock, Hodgson has revealed that Ward's injury is a more severe one and will see him sidelined for a period of time: "We’ve recovered well [over recent weeks]. It is of course only Joel Ward, who was taken off [against Liverpool], and his injury I’m afraid will keep him out for a number of weeks, but he’s the only one at the moment."
Despite the Ward announcement, there was some positive news in regards to the defensive ranks with Hodgson commenting on Mamadou Sakho's ever-increasing return to sharpness: "Mamadou has been fine for a while. The last two weeks he’s been training so it’s just a question of getting back, if you like, to the full fitness level he wants to achieve and to do that he’s got to play some matches."