Leeds pull Smith out of England friendly
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Your support makes all the difference.Alan Smith, the Leeds striker, has pulled out of Peter Taylor's squad for England's friendly fixture in Italy after picking up an injury during yesterday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Alan Smith, the Leeds striker, has pulled out of Peter Taylor's squad for England's friendly fixture in Italy after picking up an injury during yesterday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
David O'Leary, the Leeds manager, told the caretaker England coach that the teenager has an ankle injury and is exhausted. Smith has been withdrawn from Wednesday's match in Turin.
England will also be without the Manchester United defender Wes Brown, who was troubled by a knee problem against Middlesbrough at the weekend.
There were no other reported injury worries, with Gareth Southgate, the Aston Villa centre-back, expected to recover from stitches to a facial wound received after he clashed heads with Tottenham's Les Ferdinand on Saturday.
Italy have injury problems, too. Francesco Totti, the Roma striker, complained of sore muscles after Saturday's defeat of Reggina and has pulled out, while the Juventus defender, Mark Iuliano, has withdrawn after picking up an injury during his side's 1-1 draw with Lazio.
The Italy coach, Giovanni Trapattoni, has called up the Juventus midfielder, Gianluca Pessotto, and the Fiorentina defender, Daniele Adani, in their place. Udinese's Stefano Fiore is likely to play in Totti's usual role just behind the front two.
Another Leeds player withdrawing from international duty yesterday was the Australian Mark Viduka, who also collected an ankle injury and will not be fit to face Scotland on Wednesday.
Roy Keane, Niall Quinn and Rory Delap are out of the Republic of Ireland's squad for their friendly against Finland in Dublin the same night.
Keane, Manchester United's captain, suffered a hamstring injury in United's 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough, while Quinn, who scored in Sunderland's 2-2 draw with Southampton, has had to withdraw because of a back complaint. Derby's Delap has an Achilles tendon injury.
ITALY REVISED SQUAD (v England, Turin, Wednesday): Buffon (Parma), Toldo (Fiorentina); Bertotto (Udinese), Cannavaro (Parma), Nesta (Lazio), Pancaro (Lazio), Adani (Fiorentina), Maldini (Milan); Ambrosini (Milan), Albertini (Milan), Gattuso (Milan), Coco (Milan), Zenoni (Atalanta), Di Biagio (Internazionale), Di Livio (Fiorentina), Fiore (Udinese), Pessotto (Juventus); Delvecchio (Roma), Del Piero (Juventus), F Inzaghi (Juventus), S Inzaghi (Lazio).
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