Football: Agbonlahor out of England squad

LONDON:

Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor withdrew from the England squad to face Spain and Sweden after sustaining a slight hamstring injury, according to team officials.

Agbonlahor was sent back to Villa after an assessment by England medical staff who ruled he was unfit to train, said a Football Association (FA) statement. Meanwhile, a row which erupted earlier this week between the FA and world governing body Fifa was finally resolved. The FA had requested that England’s players be allowed to wear commemorative red poppies on their shirts for today’s friendly against Spain. Fifa eventually agreed a compromise whereby players are allowed to wear poppies on black armbands.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th,  2011.