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Striker's curse hits England for World Cup qualifier
Tue, Mar 31, 2009
AFP

LONDON COLNEY, England, March 31 (Reuters) - Darren Bent, who was called into the England squad as a late replacement for injured strikers Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole, has been ruled out of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

England manager Fabio Capello has called up Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor as a replacement for the injured Bent, who damaged a tendon in his knee training late on Monday.

"He was feeling more pain in the warm-up this morning and stopped," Capello told reporters at England's training camp north of London. "I have called up Agbonlahor but I will start with Peter Crouch in attack."

England lost Heskey with a thigh strain after 15 minutes of Saturday's 4-0 friendly win over Slovakia.

Carlton Cole, who came on as a substitute, was replaced after 34 minutes when he suffered an abductor muscle injury. His replacement Crouch also went off after taking a knock but will be fit to start on Wednesday.

 
 
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