Glenn Hoddle's England squad gathered at Bisham Abbey yesterday for their European Championship qualifying games against Bulgaria and Luxembourg. Arsenal's Ray Parlour is the latest casualty expected to be ruled out. Rob Lee is also still on the growing midfield casualty list after missing Arsenal's 3-0 home win over Newcastle with a suspected virus. Hoddle is already definitely without David Beckham and Paul Ince through suspension, and Steve McManaman due to injury, for next Saturday's match at Wembley against Bulgaria.
John Collins dealt Scotland's European championship hopes a further blow yesterday when he withdrew from the forthcoming qualifiers against Estonia and the Faroe Islands. The Everton midfielder was forced out because of a toe injury which has caused him problems for some time.
Collins, capped 53 times, said: "The toe has been causing me pain since the World Cup and I aggravated it playing for Everton against Wimbledon. I really need a break form football to clear the problem."
Earlier, Celtic midfielder Paul Lambert pulled out because of a hamstring injury. Suspension has prevented Celtic midfielder Craig Burley playing the home game against Estonia on Saturday.
Bulgaria's hopes of beating England were also dealt a blow last night when veteran striker Luboslav Penev announced his retirement from international football.
The 32-year-old Celta Vigo player, who scored 12 goals in 62 appearances for his country, had been included in the squad to face Glenn Hoddle's men by new coach Dimitar Denev, but decided to quit after a disappointing World Cup when Bulgaria crashed out in the group stages and a defeat in their opening Euro 2000 qualifier against Poland. "My decision is final," said Penev. "Bulgaria needs a young and fresh new national squad."
New German national team coach Erich Ribbeck yesterday named a depleted 22-man squad to face Turkey and Moldova in European championships qualifyingmatches next week. The major absentees, all injured, are Bayern Munich trio Lothar Matthaus, Thomas Strunz and Mario Basler, along with Kaiserslautern striker Olaf Marschall.
