Midfielder Michael Carrick has withdrawn from the England squad for Tuesday night’s Euro 2016 qualifying clash with Switzerland due to a calf injury and returned to Manchester United.
Roy Hodgson’s side are bidding for the three points which would secure top spot in Group E but now must do without Carrick, who was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 6-0 win at San Marino.
The 34-year-old, who has 33 caps but not featured for England in the last three matches, since March’s draw in Italy, sustained the injury in training prior to the win at San Marino.
“It’s a calf injury,” Hodgson said. “We don’t believe it’s that serious. It’s quite strange. It came out of nowhere almost.
“It was at the start of a warm-up in San Marino. He felt something very, very small, very, very slight. He had a preliminary type of scan with our doctors and they decided there’s something there.
“It’s up to Manchester United to look at it much more closely. We don’t believe it’s a long-term injury. But of course more than enough to keep him out of the game which both he and I are disappointed by.”
United play Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday.
Carrick’s absence means Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey could get another opportunity against Switzerland, but James Milner, Ryan Mason and Fabian Delph are others available to Hodgson.
Hodgson added: “We have options in that area without radically changing our system of play. I’ll have to ask you to wait until tomorrow to find out.”
Everyone else in Hodgson’s 21-man squad trained as normal on Monday morning at Tottenham’s training ground in Enfield.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain wore some strapping around his left wrist but that did not prevent him from playing a full part in the session.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and some of his coaching staff watched the session from the sidelines.