Gerrard: England must be patient against Moldova

Captain Steven Gerrard has called for England to be patient in their opening World Cup 2014 qualifier against Moldova on Friday.

Despite being positioned 138 places below them in the FIFA world rankings, the Liverpool midfielder has insisted that Ion Caras' men will pose a threat to the Three Lions as they will likely "put 11 men behind the ball".

"It can be difficult to break sides down," Gerrard told reporters. "But the good thing is that in our squad we've got players who are used to that in the Premier League - we play for top teams and you come up against teams that put 11 men behind the ball.

"As long as we're patient and don't force the issue, it doesn't matter when we score or how we win - as long as we do."

The skipper is setting his sights on maximum points from England’s opening two games, with Ukraine traveling to Wembley on Tuesday.

"It breeds confidence for the team and the squad," he continued. "The idea this week is to get six points [with a game against Ukraine to come] but the important thing is to focus on Moldova. We are confident we have the players who can get the three points."

Gerrard also welcomed the inclusion of Michael Carrick back into the squad after opted to remove himself from selection for Euro 2012 due to Roy Hodgson being unable to guarantee him a regular starting berth.

"Michael is a quality player, I've played with him in a few England games," he added. "It's great to have him back available, he'll certainly make the team and the squad stronger."