Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of England’s squad to face Kazakhstan in a World Cup qualifier in the central Asian republic on Saturday.
England boss Fabio Capello called up Bolton’s Gary Cahill as cover at centreback after Ferdinand failed to recover sufficiently from a recurrence of the calf injury which had kept him out of action for three weeks prior to United’s Champions League final defeat to Barcelona.
Capello is already without his first-choice goalkeeper, David James, for the trip to Kazakhstan and the meeting with Andorra at Wembley on June 10.
Cahill’s call-up came as a surprise with the 23-year-old benefiting from the fact that Everton’s Phil Jagielka is currently sidelined by injury.
“I was at home and I got a phone call from the FA (Football Association) saying that they wanted me in the squad,” Cahill said.
“I’ve had to get a few tools together – the boots and the shin pads – and now I am really looking forward to the opportunity.
Tottenham skipper Ledley King, whose call-up in March caused controversy as he cannot play matches in quick succession because of a chronic knee problem, would have been another option but he could only have played in one of the two qualifiers.
Cahill is unlikely to start in Kazakhstan with Matthew Upson and Joleon Lescott both available to partner captain John Terry in the centre of defence.
Having won their opening five matches in group six, England can move to the brink of qualifying for next year’s finals in South Africa by taking maximum points from the two upcoming qualifiers.
