© EuroFootball.com
England national team and Tottenham defender Ledley King dropped out of the team lineup due to a knee injury and will miss the 2008 European qualifying match against Croatia in Zagreb on Wednesday.
According to the official website of the English Football Association (FA), L. King, who missed the team's training on Monday, did not travel to Zagreb with the rest of his teammates, where the England national team will play their fourth Group E match against Croatia.
An FA spokesperson said on Tuesday morning that the 25-year-old defender did not feel "completely comfortable" and it was decided that the "Tottenham" team captain would not travel to Croatia for safety reasons.
L. King, who was named the best player in England's unsuccessful match against Macedonia, which ended in a 0-0 draw, could have been a boost for England national team coach Steve McClaren and the weakened defensive line.
Under head coach S. McClaren, England has lost three key players: "Liverpool" captain Steven Gerrard will not be able to help his team due to accumulated yellow cards, while London "Chelsea" defender Joe Cole and Bayern Munich legionnaire from Britain Owen Hargreaves are injured.
A somewhat brighter news for England national team fans is that "Man Utd" midfielder Rio Ferdinand is no longer suffering from back pain and it will be him who will replace the injured L. King in the intriguing match against Croatia on Wednesday.
