Ryan Bertrand is the latest to withdraw from the Under-21 squad.
UEFA Under-21 Championship
Qualifying Group Nine
FYR Macedonia v England
2.30pm (BST) Friday 4 September
Goce Delcev, Prilep |
Greece v England
5.00pm (BST) Tuesday 8 September
Asteras Tripolis, Tripoli Arkadia |
After naming his squad last week, Stuart Pearce has seen four of his original 23-man list forced out through injury.
However, Pearce has added to his line-up with the inclusion of Chelsea midfielder Jack Cork who is currently on loan at Coventry City.
The squad met up on Monday ahead of their first two UEFA Championship Qualifiers, away to Macedonia and Greece, without Everton forward James Vaughan, missing with a knee problem.
Manchester City's Micah Richards, who captained the Under-21s in their last outing in Holland, has also been forced out with a knee injury sustained in his club's victory at Portsmouth on Sunday. Aston Villa midfielder Fabien Delph has a slight niggle and will miss the trip, too.
Prior to the flight out to Macedonia on Wednesday, defender Ryan Bertrand was withdrawn with a knee injury and returned to Reading, where he is currently on loan from Chelsea.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, currently on loan at Yeovil Town from Reading, met up for his first ever Under-21 call-up but will return to his club when the Three Lions head to Macedonia on Wednesday, as his club have an important League One meeting with Swindon Town on Saturday. McCarthy will then fly out to Greece to meet up for the second Group Nine qualifier in Tripoli.
England will be looking to get off to the best of starts in their new campaign with a place in the 2011 UEFA Finals in Denmark their aim. You can follow the team all the way here on TheFA.com.
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