Linderoth leads growing injury list

Tobias Linderoth has ruled himself out of Sweden's UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier in Northern Ireland next Wednesday after failing to recover from a thigh injury. "I did two training sessions today, but my muscles are tender and I will not be ready in time," the 27-year-old FC København midfielder admitted. His loss could prompt the Group F leaders to call up FC Twente's Kennedy Bakircioglü as a replacement.

Poland's hopes of keeping pressure on the top two in Group A have been dented after Euzebiusz Smolarek withdrew from the squad to face Azerbaijan and Armenia. The 26-year-old striker, scorer of half of Leo Beenhakker's side's six qualifying goals to date, will return to BV Borussia Dortmund and undergo tests on a rib injury.

Beşiktaş JK defender İbrahim Toraman has joined a lengthening list of absentees from Fatih Terim's Turkey squad after pulling his hamstring. The 25-year-old follows key men Arda Turan and Nihat Kahveci on to the sidelines, though Terim is not yet looking to call on his reserves ahead of the Group C double-header against Greece and Norway.

Jonathan Woodgate has been counted out of England's Group E game in Israel on Saturday due to a knee injury. The 27-year-old Middlesbrough FC defender could return to face Andorra on 28 March, however. "We will keep in close contact with Middlesbrough to determine his availability for the Andorra match," said manager Steve McClaren."

Belarus's preparations for Saturday's Group G fixture in Luxembourg have been hampered by a spate of injuries. With Denis Kovba (foot), Sergei Shtaniuk (neck) and Aleksandr Hleb (knee) doubtful, coach Yuri Puntus could ill afford yesterday's training-ground collision between Dmitri Lentsevich and Artem Kontsevoy which left the latter, a 23-year-old forward, laid off for the rest of the season with a fractured cheekbone.

Russia midfielder Igor Semshov has joined captain Yegor Titov on the treatment table ahead of Saturday's Group E game in Estonia. The 28-year-old from FC Dinamo Moskva has succumbed to a heavy cold, although fears over the fitness of Evgeni Aldonin and Denis Kolodin have eased.

Rangers FC's Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Saša Papac has told his club's website he no longer wishes to be considered for selection by his national team. The 27-year-old said: "I am still relatively young and would love to play for my country, but I will not do so under current circumstances." Papac was already suspended for Bosnia-Herzegovina's Group C trip to Norway.