Spurs skipper King to be rested for remainder of season
Season over for Ledley King
Thursday, 03, Apr 2008 06:25
Tottenham Hotspur have announced captain Ledley King will not feature in any of the club's remaining games this season.
The 27-year-old is being rested for six league fixtures to allow him to recover from the knee injury which has plagued him for the last year.
A statement on the official Spurs website said early qualification for the Uefa Cup by virtue of victory in the Carling Cup final against Chelsea – which King starred in – had allowed the club to rest the defender.
The decision means the England centre-back will miss games against Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Wigan, Bolton, Reading and Liverpool.
"My knee is actually feeling good at the moment and there is no inflammation, but we have to look at the bigger picture and accept that this is an ideal point in time to recover further, get best advice and make sure that I come back fitter," King said.
"They are six games I could well have taken part in, but we all believe this is worth doing for the longer term benefit."
King has played just ten games this season due to the injury, which has underlined his importance to the team as his defensive colleagues conspired to concede 55 goals in 32 games.
The defender will also be hoping to use the extended break to fully recover and force himself back into England contention.
Injury ruled King out of the 2006 World Cup squad, and he has played just four times for the Three Lions over the last two years.