Steven Gerrard has admitted that he is suffering under the weight of expectation as he battles to keep his place in the England team, but while he stresses, it is strains that will keep John Terry and Ashley Cole out of the World Cup qualifying match against Belarus in Minsk tomorrow.

Gerrard said yesterday that his desperation to play well for his country and his failure to attain the heights he has scaled with Liverpool have put pressure on him and an indifferent display in the 5-1 win over Kazakhstan has led to renewed scrutiny. “I’ve had criticism that I haven’t reproduced my club form for England, so sometimes I’m thinking about it too much and going out on the pitch trying too hard and haven’t always delivered,” he said. “Of late I am putting too much pressure on myself and trying too hard. Maybe I have to relax a bit.

“Fabio Capello [the England manager] has told me what he wants me to do and he is prepared to help me. That’s what I want. I don’t want a manager to give up on me for club or country. If the manager decides to go with Frank [Lampard] and not me, I’ll get on with it. I’ll work hard to get back in the team.”

Gerrard defended the right of fans to boo Cole, who was jeered at Wembley after his mistake led to Kazakhstan’s goal. “Any supporter, when you pay money, you deserve to voice your opinion, but if we’re going to be successful in the future, we need them with us,” Gerrard said.

Terry and Cole have returned to Chelsea and will not fly to Minsk today. Terry, the captain, missed the match against Kazakhstan because of a back injury, while a scan revealed that Cole strained his right hamstring on Saturday. Robert Green, the No 3 goalkeeper, has withdrawn because of soreness in a knee.

Cole will probably be replaced at left back by Wayne Bridge, his understudy at Chelsea, who has played only seven minutes in the Barclays Premier League this season. Matthew Upson is likely to continue in central defence alongside Rio Ferdinand.

After the failed experiment on Saturday of playing Wayne Rooney on the left in a 4-3-3 formation, Capello will revert to 4-4-2 and deploy the Manchester United forward through the middle. The absence of Joe Cole means that the England manager does not need to drop one of Gerrard, Lampard or Gareth Barry. Gerrard is likely to fill in again on the left of midfield, with Lampard and Barry in the centre.

The Football Association confirmed yesterday that it does not want a planned friendly against Spain to take place in Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium because of the racist abuse suffered by England players there in 2004.

Capello asked to face the European champions and is understood to be prepared to play anywhere, but the FA wants to make a stand. It was in talks with its Spanish counterpart yesterday and a decision on the venue for the match, which is likely to be played in February, is expected shortly. FA security personnel were also meeting to address potential problems after England fans were delayed for two hours by administrative procedures at Minsk airport.

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