The England team is in good spirits for their match against Montenegro on Tuesday (March 26th), manager Roy Hodgson said on Monday (March 25th) in Podgorica.

The team trained in a wet city stadium after dark.

The former World Cup winners are two points behind Montenegro in Group H having played half of the fixtures with Ukraine and Poland a further six points adrift with a game in hand.

Hodgson said his side would not set up defensively against Montenegro despite fears over the state of the pitch following a downpour and the possibility of being five points behind the tiny Adriatic nation and staring second place in the face.

England have no injury concerns ahead of the key clash and nor is Hodgson worried about his side's discipline given striker Wayne Rooney was sent off the last time the two nations met in Podgorica.

"We are aware of the importance of the game, we are aware of the importance of all these qualifying games, so our aim is certainly to go out and attempt to win the game tomorrow," Hodgson told reporters on Monday (March 25). "I think we come here in good spirits, the mood is very good, I think the form of the team is good, we are playing a team that is currently on the top of the group, so we realise it would not be an easy task ahead of us, but we did not expect an easy task anyway, we are here to play, and I am convinced that the team will play well."

England captain Steven Gerrard said he was relishing the match which is important to England's hopes of qualifying for Brazil in 2014.

Hodgson, who took over in May last year, just ahead of Euro 2012, laughed off Montenegro coach Branko Brnovic's comments earlier on Monday that England were already making excuses for a possible defeat.

Presented by Adam Justice