Ashley Cole has been forced to withdraw from the England squad to play Austria and Poland after suffering a stress fracture of his foot.
Uncapped Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock has been called up as cover.
“Ashley has had to pull out,” said coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. “He took a scan and has a stress fracture and will be out for one month at least.”
Eriksson admitted that the loss of Cole was a blow but that he has plenty of options.
“We have a lot of options there, Jamie Carragher is one, Warnock is another, Kieran Richardson is playing left-back for Manchester United at this moment,” he said.
“But it is a pity to lose Ashley Cole, probably the best left-back in the world.
“It so often happens when one full-back is injured the other is as well in Gary Neville and Ashley Cole.”
