Euro 2012: Roy Hodgson's hopes of using Chelsea's success to benefit England could be ruined by injuries Belgium's 62 per cent first-half possession tells you that a tactic adopted by Roberto Di Matteo's men abroad is catching on. The players are seeking refuge in that mentality and will win no prizes for enterprise if it continues. Three European champions returned to England colours here and there might have been a fourth had Lampard not broken down. The thick blue line of Chelsea's defiance was laid in front of Joe Hart's goal in the hope that Champions League impregnability will translate to Euro 2012. Which international manager in his right mind would pass up the chance to install a group of recently ennobled experts in how to maintain a siege? Even without Terry in the final (and for much of the Barcelona semi-final in Spain), Chelsea's rearguard threw most of their body parts at the opposition as Roman Abramovich's quest for European domination was finally satisfied. A manager who might decline that opportunity would have to be one concerned by Terry's appearance in court next month on a charge of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. He denies the charges. That moral ball has been kicked around a lot and has been placed aside until the subject arises again, as it will if Hodgson is tempted to call Rio Ferdinand to check his availability. Cahill lasted only 18 minutes here. Plenty of people have run into Joe Hart's excellence this season but Cahill made the mistake of just running into Joe Hart. The impact of jaw on torso was so juddering that the former Bolton Wanderer swayed off the pitch to be replaced by Joleon Lescott. Cahill, remember, is the centre-back dismissed soon after his move to Stamford Bridge as an over-promoted English stopper who would never adjust to life at the top. Instead he sports a Champions League winner's medal and the England No 5 shirt. Lampard, whose England career may be over after 90 caps, says of the Terry and Cahill double-act: "As soon as they were put together they complemented each other, and there are similarities to their games. They are determined. They both throw their bodies in the way to make the blocks. They put their bodies on the line. A diplomatic impossibility now, seemingly, the Rio Ferdinand-Terry partnership was broken on the rocks of race and sibling loyalty. Few gifts have fallen Hodgson's way but one was Chelsea's European conquest. At left-back, Ashley Cole has won 94 caps and is sure to become a centurion this year. On the right side of defence, Glen Johnson knows Terry and Cole from his four years at Stamford Bridge between 2003 and 2007, and even Tottenham's Scott Parker, the defensive midfielder, had a short stint in a Chelsea jersey. Hodgson went into the winning dressing room in Munich and must have felt encouraged. The only doubt would have been whether the wheels would fall off defenders who had emptied themselves in pursuit of their European obsession. They switched off for a few days, missing the 1-0 win in Oslo, and checked in to the camp on Tuesday. The workaholic Lampard was the first to implode, with a thigh injury. On the day of their return to the front-line the two starting England centre-backs were both involved in injury scares. Fortunately Phil Jagielka and Phil Jones both know the central defender's role. At least Terry has accepted his demotion, for now. One of Steven Gerrard's main challenges on being anointed as captain was to stop Terry playing the barrack room sergeant. The signs are encouraging. Terry was quieter than usual at open training on Friday and needs to keep it zipped when Gerrard is trying to impose his authority. Much of the country would prefer Terry not to be here. But in these two friendlies we have witnessed how physically vulnerable England are. Hodgson will have spotted it right away. The talent pool is too thin and the ball retention nowhere near good enough for the knock-out rounds of a European Championship finals. England were given a technical education by Belgium, who lacked only a lethal finisher. But some kind of stubborn energy drives on England, who have won both games under Hodgson, as it did with Chelsea. Without that you would fear for them.