GERMANY v ENGLAND:THE ENGLISH Football Association last night played down suggestions that senior players had withdrawn too readily from tomorrow's friendly against Germany, though Fabio Capello still faces a struggle to repair his relationship with Liverpool over his insistence that Steven Gerrard be assessed by England's medical staff.
Gerrard, along with Frank Lampard, returned to his club yesterday after doctors confirmed Liverpool's initial diagnosis that the midfielder is suffering from a small tear to a groin muscle, an injury that is likely to sideline him for up to 10 days.
The Merseysiders, while unable to prevent Capello flexing his muscles, have privately bemoaned what they consider to have been a "pointless exercise", with Gerrard having been asked to make a 400-mile, eight-hour round trip to England's Hertfordshire base.
The Liverpool captain underwent a check by England's medical staff on Sunday evening after reporting to the team's hotel in Watford, having picked up the injury playing the full 90 minutes in the weekend victory over Bolton.
He was promptly released and was followed by Lampard, the Chelsea midfielder having hurt his ribs in a collision during Saturday's win at West Bromwich Albion.
Their departures leave Capello with an unfamiliar squad comprising perhaps of four of his first-choice side for tomorrow's game in Berlin, with John Terry, who came through a full training session yesterday after a foot injury sustained at The Hawthorns, joining David James, Theo Walcott and Gareth Barry in the likely starting line-up. Injury had already ruled out Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Ashley Cole, Wes Brown and Joe Cole.
"It's just very unfortunate that we've got a lot of players who are regulars in the squad who are not around," said an FA spokesman. "The fact is that players have been down and have been assessed. We are satisfied that these players have legitimate injuries.
"The medical scans show it up so there shouldn't be any suggestion or innuendo otherwise. The players are absolutely gutted that they are not able to play for England in Berlin."
Fulham's uncapped Jimmy Bullard and the West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, who has not represented his country since the 2-0 defeat to Croatia in October 2006, have been called up.
Guardian Service
