Update from the Under-21s
Tuesday, 22 March, 2011
Injuries force five out of Denmark trip.
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See England's next home game against Iceland in Preston on 28 March
The England Under-21s squad has suffered five withdrawals on Tuesday, as injuries and knocks take their toll ahead of key warm-up games with Denmark and Iceland.
And so the penultimate squad get-together will continue without the likes of Jack Rodwell, Gary Hooper, Mark Davies, Henri Lansbury and Alex Smithies.
With preparation time running out ahead of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship this summer, Rodwell has been forced to pull out of the squad following a knock picked up in his club Everton’s win over Fulham on Saturday.
Celtic striker Hooper, who looked set to make his England debut after a first call-up, will also miss out due to a problem sustained in his side’s Scottish League Cup Final defeat on Sunday. Meanwhile Bolton midfielder Davies also misses out through injury.
Lansbury (Norwich City) and Smithies (Huddersfield) also return to their clubs with slight injuries that would have ruled them out of this Thursday’s fixture against Denmark.
Apart from a few bumps and bruises there are no other serious injury issues for the England medical team to contend with, and despite the withdrawals Stuart Pearce will select from a strong 26-man squad.
England fly out this Wednesday to take on the Danes in Viborg on Thursday 24 March, ko 5pm GMT.
Pearce’s young charges then host Iceland at Preston North End’s Deepdale ground on Monday 28 March, 7.45pm ko.
Tickets for the match against Iceland are still available priced at £10 for adults and £5 for children and are available from the ticket office at Deepdale, over the phone on 0844 856 1966 and online at www.mypne.com.