England coach Roy Hodgson is agonising over whether to recall Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.

He is short of central defenders for this month's World Cup qualifiers away to San Marino and Montenegro.

And it means he may have to eat humble pie and turn to the Manchester United veteran who he has shunned ever since he took over as manager on May 1, says The Sun.

Hodgson. 65, cited 'football reasons' for Ferdinand's omission from Euro 2012.

But it is no longer possible for him to keep up that argument ahead of England's next two games on March 22 and March 26.

He was at Old Trafford on Sunday to witness Ferdinand out-performing Chelsea's Gary Cahill in their 2-2 FA Cup draw.

Cahill is a Hodgson favourite but is not in the form Ferdinand is.