England coach Roy Hodgson says he won't 'do an AVB' in clearing out his old guard.

Villas-Boas, now at Tottenham, was sacked a fortnight after axing Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Michael Essien from the side which lost a Champions League qualifier 3-1 at Napoli.

Asked why he persists with the Chelsea pair, Hodgson said: "Because I think they are good enough, that's why.

"Andre Villas-Boas, when he took over at Chelsea, decided that maybe it [ditching the old guard] was the way he would go, or want to go. Or maybe was advised by the owner. Yet they were eventually the players who came back and helped win the Champions League."