Gibbs to miss England's U21 finals tilt
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
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Arsenal FC defender Kieran Gibbs has withdrawn from the England squad for the Under-21 finals after aggravating an ankle injury during a friendly fixture on Sunday.
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England will travel to the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Denmark with just 22 players after Arsenal FC defender Kieran Gibbs withdrew from Stuart Pearce's selection with an ankle injury.
The left-back, who scored what proved the winning penalty in the 2009 semi-final defeat of hosts Sweden, aggravated an ankle problem in Sunday's 2-0 friendly win against Norway in Southampton and will now be unable to play at the tournament. Coach Pearce has opted against naming a replacement.
"We have to deal with setbacks every now and again, but we are fortunate to have a squad and a staff with previous tournament experience," said Pearce. "It's unfortunate for Kieran, but he went for a scan yesterday and is in a medical boot."
England, aiming to go one better than their runners-up finish in 2009, take on Spain in their opening Group B game on Sunday. They then face Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
