FORMER England physio Fred Street believes Steve Gerrard should have the final decision on whether to face Israel with a painkilling injection.

England coach Steve McClaren is prepared to defy the wishes of Gerrard's Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and play the midfielder after giving him a jab aimed at numbing his broken toe.

McClaren will consult with doctors and the player before making any decision but insists he will allow Gerrard to be injected rather than miss their vital European Championship qualifier.

Benitez allowed Gerrard to receive a jab to play for Liverpool against Chelsea in the Premier League last month but claims it took the player almost a week to recover and he has not played for them since.

His slow rate of recovery would put him out of the Russia qualifier next Wednesday, but Street, now 75 and still working at his Park Lane clinic in London, insists it should be Gerrard who decides what happens to his own body and not the England coach.

Street, England's physio for 22 years, said: "It comes down to the patient in the end.

"The player is the patient. He's got to decide whether he is agreeable to having it numbed.

"But there is a risk, players can get stood on with big toe injuries and while the injection numbs the pain for two hours, it can get a bit more sore afterwards.

"If he comes through the game with no problems, everyone will forget about it but if he hobbles off then there is bound to be recriminations."