Rio Ferdinand withdraws from England squad

Rio Ferdinand had pulled out of the England squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro because of problems regarding his training regime.

The decision has been taken after the Manchester United centre-back met with England manager Roy Hodgson in London yesterday afternoon.

"I'm disappointed Rio will not be available, but due to the detailed pre-planned training and medical programme he must follow it's not possible," Hodgson said in a statement. "However, I was pleased that Rio called and asked to meet with me. 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."

For Ferdinand, the news has come after he had been selected for international duty for the first time since 2011. Despite this forced withdrawal, the 34-year-old has insisted that he would like to be considered by Hodgson in the future.

"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," he said.

"It is disappointing that I won't be able to play a part in the upcoming games but I told Roy that I want to continue to be available for England and I look forward to working with him in the future."

Tottenham Hotspur's Steven Caulker has been named as Ferdinand's replacement.