England manager Roy Hodgson has warned his players not to underestimate Moldova.

The Three Lions travel to Moldova on Friday in their opening World Cup qualifier before facing Ukraine at Wembley next Tuesday.

While many have speculated that Moldova will be a walkover for England, Hodgson believes that it won't be as straightforward as people think.

"If we are not aware of the fact that this is a major hurdle of the 10 hurdles we have to jump over, then we would be very, very foolish," said Hodgson.

"And, certainly, my message to the players is that, I don't care if they are called Moldova. As far as I'm concerned, they could be called Brazil and we have to produce a performance to win us the game.

"And if it turns out that perhaps they are not that good after all then I will be very happy."

The last time the two counties met was when England thrashed their opponents 4-0 in 1997.