Rio Ferdinand withdraws from England squad for qualifiers

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has withdrawn from England's squad for their World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro.

The decision was taken following a meeting on Sunday with Ferdinand, 34, and England boss Roy Hodgson.

Rio Ferdinand's England career

• 1997: Makes England debut v Cameroon at Wembley
• 1998: Named in squad for 1998 World Cup finals but does not play
• 2000: Left out of Euro 2000 squad
• 2002: Scores first England goal in 3-0 win over Denmark at 2002 World Cup
• 2004: Banned for eight months after missing a drugs test
• 2006: Plays five games at World Cup in Germany
• 2008: Captains England for first time in defeat by France in March - loses out to John Terry in battle for permanent skipper role
• 2010: Terry is stripped of captaincy and Ferdinand is given the armband but injury rules him out of the 2010 World Cup
• 2011: Makes his 81st appearance in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland
• 2013: Recalled by England

At the meeting, Ferdinand confirmed he wants to continue playing for England.

"I'm disappointed Rio will not be available, but due to the detailed medical programme he must follow it's not possible," said Hodgson.
Ferdinand later said on Twitter he was "gutted"  but said it was necessary as part of his "intricate pre-planned programme".
In a statement he added: "It was important for me to be able to speak with Roy face to face and explain the situation, and one thing I made clear was that my passion and commitment to represent my country is as strong as ever."
Tottenham's Steven Caulker, who was originally named in Stuart Pearce's Under-21 squad, will now join the seniors.
Ferdinand's last England appearance was in the 2-2 draw against Switzerland in June 2011 but he won a recall for the matches against San Marino and Montenegro.
The defender, who made his debut against Cameroon in 1997, hoped to add to his 81 caps but his withdrawal leaves England short on options at centre-back, with Caulker joining Chris Smalling and Joleon Lescott in the squad.
England play San Marino on Friday, 22 March, before travelling to Montenegro on Tuesday, 26 March for a game which could determine who wins Group H.

Analysis

Ian Dennis BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter

It's a second defensive blow in less than 24 hours for Roy Hodgson after Sunday's withdrawal of Michael Dawson.
Some may question or wonder could this situation have been avoided. My understanding is that the FA protocol is to inform the relevant club secretaries of players being called up on the day of the announcement.
When they notified Manchester United last Thursday of their seven inclusions, it was only then the FA were made aware of Ferdinand's specific medical programme.
Ferdinand would not have played in San Marino but his experience in Podgorica will be sorely missed.

And Hodgson said despite Ferdinand's withdrawal and concerns over his fitness he would still be considered for future internationals.

"I was pleased that Rio called and asked to meet with me," Hodgson added. "It was important to hear from him personally about the way he must manage his body between games.
"This is not to say he cannot play back-to-back games - he can and has proven so. He's out this time due to particular pre-planned details already in place for his programme.
"I must place on record how I was impressed with his commitment to playing for England and I look forward to hopefully selecting him for squads in the future."
Ferdinand's England career appeared to be over after he was left out of the squad for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.
That came against a backdrop of suggestions there could be a potential conflict with John Terry, who was due to stand trial over a charge of racially abusing Ferdinand's brother Anton.

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Rio Ferdinand scores for England at 2002 World Cup

Terry was cleared of the charge after the tournament. However, he was later banned and fined by the FA over the incident - but not before announcing his retirement from international football.
Hodgson stated he was leaving Ferdinand out of Euro 2012 for "footballing reasons" and was reported to have told London Underground travellers Ferdinand's England career was over in October 2012. 
Ferdinand's latest recall surprised his club manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who admitted he was "shocked" at the news. Ferguson also urged the England medical staff to adhere to their advice about keeping him fit and raised doubts he would be able play in the fixtures.