Toshack annoys depleted Latics

JOHN SHERIDAN

Athletic are involved in a club-versus-country spat with Wales over Neal Eardley.

Athletic had a request rejected when they asked for Eardley to be excused from last night’s friendly in Denmark.

Chief executive Alan Hardy explained that the approach was made because Athletic were without nine players for their cup tie against Cheltenham and were only able to field five of the seven permitted substitutes.

He explained: “Manager John Toshack told us that as Wales only had two friendlies in the next five months and therefore wanted to have a look at Neal.

“It was disappointing to learn, therefore, that Neal only came on as a substitute for the final three minutes.”

Meanwhile, Athletic are battling to get Deane Smalley and Danny Whitaker fit for Saturday’s Coca-Cola League One fixture at Southend United.

Smalley limped out of the cup defeat in midweek with a recurrence of a hip injury sustained last Saturday, while Whitaker is striving to overcome an ankle injury which has forced him to sit out the last two matches.

Athletic will be forced to rejig their defence for Tuesday’s home league game against Walsall as Reuben Hazell is ruled out due to a one-match ban for collecting five yellow cards.

DIMITAR Berbatov has added to Manchester United’s mounting injury troubles.

The Reds’ striker limped out of Bulgaria’s friendly against Serbia last night with a hamstring strain and could be a major doubt for Saturday’s league game at Aston Villa.

Rio Ferdinand (back) and Wayne Rooney (calf) had earlier withdrawn from England’s squad for the friendly against Germany as had Darren Ferguson (knee) from the Scotland squad to play Argentina.

United’s injury list also includes Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Ryan Giggs, Owen Hargreaves and Paul Scholes.

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Theo Walcott will be sidelined for at least three months with a shoulder injury.

The 19–year–old forward picked up the injury in Berlin during England’s training session ahead of their international friendly with Germany.