Evra: Preparing for Ukraine clash

Manchester United defender Evra was unsurprised by the tactics employed by new England head coach Roy Hodgson during Monday night's 1-1 draw with France at the Donbass Stadium.

It left Evra and France frustrated at failing to make the most of their dominance possession-wise.

"England were really strong and that is the way Roy Hodgson likes his teams to play," Evra said.

"When he was at Fulham and Switzerland, that was the way he set teams up and that is what we expected.

"We watched recent games and noticed that England were more organised. They want to play like that. That was the tactic, that was the plan.

"They didn't plan to go forward, to score a lot of goals, and in the end they got the draw."

Evra added: "Everyone has just been talking about France and England but I think now, the difficult games, they are coming.

"We play against Ukraine at their home and it is not going to be easy.

"But I think maybe Ukraine will play more football (than England) and maybe we will get more space."

Evra is refusing to make any bold predictions about how far England will progress in the tournament.

But he believes they will benefit from the return of United team-mate Wayne Rooney after suspension for the final group game against Ukraine.

Evra said: "Can England go far in the tournament? I don't know. I will just say that they are difficult to beat.

"But having Rooney back will be good for them. He is a very important player for England.

"Of course, he will bring something different but England are strong. They drew against France and now I wish them the good luck."