Ferdinand, whose last cap for his country was against Sweden in June 2011, is among the 26 man squad which will face San Marino and Montenegro in Group H. And Roy Hodgson has given every indication Ferdinand will be back in the side in Serravalle on 22 March.
"A player of Rio's calibre and of Rio's age you don't necessarily bring into the squad as back-up," he said. "You bring them in because you hope they're going to make the team better
"It wouldn't take too much guesswork to work out that now he's in the squad he's there in order to play, not to make up numbers.
Asked whether he thought Ferdinand could play further games for England, Hodgson said: "I'm sure he could. In the past I've chosen other players. At the moment I think Rio is the right man to help us in these games and probably games ahead but I can't make guarantees for the future.
"If Rio Ferdinand is still playing like he is now in 2014 he's going to be a major candidate for a place in the squad.
Squad: Forster, Foster, Hart, Baines, Cahill, Cole, Dawson, Ferdinand, Johnson, Smalling, Walker, Carrick, Cleverley, Gerrard, Lampard, Lennon, Milner, Osman, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Parker, Walcott, Young, Defoe, Rooney, Sturridge, Welbeck.
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