U21 finalists shuffle their packs
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Article summary
Several of this summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship finalists have suffered withdrawals ahead of important weekend friendlies, most notably Germany's loss of Matthias Jaissle to a cruciate ligament injury.
Article top media content
Article body
Several of this summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship finalists have suffered withdrawals from their squads ahead of weekend friendlies.
Six months out
Germany defender Matthias Jaissle has been ruled out of the tournament, which gets under way on 15 June, after tearing cruciate ligaments in his left knee at the weekend. Jaissle, 20, suffered the injury ten minutes into the second half of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim's 2-2 draw with Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga and is expected to be out for six months. England have also been forced into a reshuffle, with the changes for all teams listed below.
Germany
Out: Matthias Jaissle (injured), Sami Khedira (injured), Mesut Özil (injured), Eugen Polanski (injured), Mike Frantz (injured), Sebastian Boesnich (rested)
In: Mergim Mavraj (VfL Bochum 1848), Marcel Schmelzer (BV Borussia Dortmund), Jan Rosenthal (Hannover 96)
England
Out: Theo Walcott (injured), Steven Taylor (injured), Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (injured), Aaron Lennon (promoted to senior squad)
In: Martin Cranie (Portsmouth FC), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa FC)
Finland
Out: Ville Jalasto (out due to club transfer), Teemu Pukki (injured), Tim Sparv (promoted to senior squad)
In: Petri Viljanen (FC Haka), Robin Wikman (BK Häcken), Aleksandr Kokko (FC Honka)
Serbia
Out: Nemanja Milić (injured)
Sweden
Out: Albin Ekdal (injured)
In: Elmin Kurbegovic (IF Elfsborg)
