u00a0England manager Roy Hodgson has warned his stars not to use the poor quality pitch in Chisinau as an excuse to deliver a lacklustre display in their opening World Cup qualifier against Moldova tomorrow.

Hodgson knows England’s players will be tested by the Zimbru Stadium surface, which bares no comparison with the carefully tended pitches in Premier League grounds and prompted even Moldova assistant manager Ion Testemitanu to admit it was not in the best condition. But he refuses to accept that as a reason for England to underachieve as they begin their bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.