Post by Taxigirl on Feb 17, 2004 11:49:33 GMT
Aston Villa striker Darius Vassell has pulled out of England's squad to face Portgual because of illness.
Vassell, who was unwell during the night at the team hotel, will not be replaced by Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The England coach drafted in THFC' Ledley King when first-choice centre-back Sol Campbell withdrew.
But he has Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey and Alan Smith as ample cover for Vassell, who probably would not have started anyway.
Eriksson's party for the friendly against in Faro is therefore reduced to 23 players.
Up front, the Swede is expected to pick his undoubted first-choice partnership of Liverpool's Michael Owen and Everton's Wayne Rooney.
That pair will not finish the match, however, with Eriksson set to ignore Fifa criticism and make a rash of half-time substitutions.
There could even be an entirely different England line-up in the second period, with Eriksson defending his policy against protest that mass replacements turn friendly games into farce.
No other injuries were reported by England as they trained at Arsenal's London Colney headquarters on Tuesday morning ahead of the flight to Portugal.
Vassell, who was unwell during the night at the team hotel, will not be replaced by Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The England coach drafted in THFC' Ledley King when first-choice centre-back Sol Campbell withdrew.
But he has Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey and Alan Smith as ample cover for Vassell, who probably would not have started anyway.
Eriksson's party for the friendly against in Faro is therefore reduced to 23 players.
Up front, the Swede is expected to pick his undoubted first-choice partnership of Liverpool's Michael Owen and Everton's Wayne Rooney.
That pair will not finish the match, however, with Eriksson set to ignore Fifa criticism and make a rash of half-time substitutions.
There could even be an entirely different England line-up in the second period, with Eriksson defending his policy against protest that mass replacements turn friendly games into farce.
No other injuries were reported by England as they trained at Arsenal's London Colney headquarters on Tuesday morning ahead of the flight to Portugal.