Hodgson: Sterling should be rested

England manager Roy Hodgson thinks Brendan Rodgers should consider resting Raheem Sterling if he believes the Liverpool teenager is in danger of suffering burnout.

Hodgson dropped Sterling for yesterday’s 1-0 win over Estonia after the winger complained of fatigue.

Rodgers has aired his concerns regarding Sterling’s fitness in recent weeks and the Liverpool boss decided to start him on the bench for the Reds’ 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa last month.

The England manager was happy to leave Sterling out of his team for Sunday’s game in Tallinn, but he has told his Liverpool counterpart he must do his bit to ensure the player gets back to his best too.

“We do have to take players’ workload into consideration, and there are going to be times in top league teams where players suffer from some sort of physical and mental fatigue, but I think it’s a bit unfair if all the expectations to give the player a little bit of a break fall on my shoulders,” the England manager said.

Hodgson understands many people will be surprised that he feels a 19-year-old needed resting, but he insists he made the right decision in pulling Sterling out of his starting XI and replacing him with Adam Lallana.

And the England manager thinks there was nothing wrong with Sterling telling him he was fatigued a day before the Estonia match.

“He broke into the Liverpool team and had a fantastic season and then went to the World Cup... He is only a 19-year-old,” Hodgson said.

“It is not as simple as the training you are having may be taking a bit of juice from your legs.

“There is an awful lot going on in your head as well so perhaps (the reason he is tired) is quite simply (because) the season has not started as well for Liverpool, he is in the spotlight for England and Liverpool... Maybe that has had some effect. I don’t know. It’s a theory.”

Sterling came on for Jordan Henderson in the 63rd minute, and did not impress too much as England struggled to record a victory that eventually came when Wayne Rooney scored a free-kick in the 74th minute.

Although he scored the winner with a dipping free-kick, the England captain should have taken other chances to put the game beyond doubt.

Hodgson said: “Wayne Rooney is a very self-critical person.

“He is happy to score the winning goal but he knows he and his fellow forwards could have had so many more.”

Hodgson’s opposite number Magnus Pehrsson was surprised England looked so blunt in attack.

The Estonia coach said: “In the second half it felt as though England were not dangerous.

“I was surprised and quite happy they weren’t.”

Hodgson, meanwhile, played down fears over the fitness of Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck, who was replaced with 11 minutes to go by Rickie Lambert.

“He just rolled his ankle slightly,” the former Fulham boss said.

“The doctors are not concerned.”