Ashley Cole has been ruled out of England’s vital Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia in Moscow on Wednesday because of an ankle injury, while skipper John Terry remains a big doubt for the game.
Cole, who was carried off in Saturday’s win over Estonia, is awaiting a scan to determine the extent of his injury.
Terry, who was already playing with a mask to protect a broken cheekbone, picked up a knee problem in training last week and missed the win over Estonia.
“He has improved a lot,” said McClaren. “We are assessing him daily and hope he will train on Monday but there is a long way to go and he is still a big doubt.”
If Terry fails to recover in time, Sol Campbell is set to continue in central defence alongside Rio Ferdinand.