Lithuania vs England preview: Roy Hodgson to ring the changes as Three Lions go in search of perfect 10

With nine qualifying wins out of nine, manager plans to rest players for final group match in Vilnius

Roy Hodgson will use the game against Lithuania to test young players and rest senior players (Reuters)

Roy Hodgson will leave five more of his depleted squad behind for Monday’s dead rubber Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania, including his vice-captain Gary Cahill as well as the injured Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick.

The England manager is leaving behind Joe Hart who is fit to play in the tenth and final qualifier, as well as James Milner, Cahill, Rooney and Carrick. The 2-0 victory over Estonia at Wembley, with goals from Theo Walcott and Raheem Sterling, means that England have won all nine of their qualifiers, the best record in Europe.

Hodgson is down to 20 players for Monday’s game in Vilnius. He will have to decide on a new captain with Rooney and Cahill out and the likelihood that either Phil Jagielka or Chris Smalling steps into the role. Jack Butland will win just his second cap and his first in a competitive game. The England manager said that he wanted to give Hart and Milner a rest.

Hodgson said: “Gary Cahill has to some extent occasional back problems. We were a bit concerned with the flight and the artificial pitch [in Lithuania], so in a choice of taking him or Chris Smalling, I went with Smalling. Joe Hart is being left behind against his will because he wants to play. I want to see Jack Butland. And James Milner, in his case I want to play Jonjo Shelvey in this game.

“James, if anyone, deserves a rest because he's played so many games for Liverpool, and taken on the captaincy [in Jordan Henderson’s absence]. The rest will do him good and it's the right moment for Jonjo Shelvey to show what he can do again. Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick are injured.”

Nevertheless, Hodgson said that he believed Carrick and Rooney would both be fit for Manchester United’s trip to Everton on Saturday. “He [Carrick] had a fitness test this morning [Friday]. He missed the session on Thursday feeling his groin. The test went well to a point, but he still feels it when he opens out his leg to side-foot passes.

“He couldn't play [against Estonia]. Whether it would have cleared up for Lithuania, I suppose that's open to debate. We have other players I need to see in that game. From his point of view, and United's, the rest will do him good. I fully expect to see him and Wayne Rooney fully fit for United next weekend.”

Ross Barkley was one of the outstanding players for England playing in a midfield three with Adam Lallana and James Milner and Hodgson said that he saw the Everton 21-year-old as more suited to that role than the No 10 position.

“At Everton, he plays in a role that is deep-lying centre-forward or a No 10. He's capable of doing that, but we think he's got more strings to his bow. If we decide not to play him as a No 10, because we have Sterling, [Danny] Welbeck, Walcott in the team, we don't just dismiss him.

“We need to use him like we did [against Estonia], as one of three midfielders playing to the left of James Milner in the centre. He did that well. He didn't do it too badly against Switzerland either. He's perfectly comfortable with that. He doesn't feel he's limited to a position. The more experience he gets in both positions will suit him going forward.”