Gerrard is expected to play the second-half of the friendly with Japan today.
Gerrard has been struggling with a sligh calf niggle during training in recent days.
An England source told News of the World: “Stevie felt a slight pull in his calf on Thursday and decided the best course of action was to just sit out both sessions.
“There was no point taking any risks and Fabio was absolutely comfortable with that.
“On Friday, Stevie took part in training but opted to have a massage on his calf rather than take part in a shooting session. Again, the England staff thought that was the best course of action.
“He’s had another examination and there is no sign of any problem and he will play a part against Japan.”
