Lampard and Hargreaves out for Russia clash
Lampard will miss out on a second successive England outing
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Monday, 10, Sep 2007 10:42
Frank Lampard and Owen Hargreaves will both be absent from England's midfield for Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualification showdown with Russia.
The duo have failed to overcome the respective thigh injuries that also saw them ruled out of the weekend's 3-0 win over Israel.
Coach Steve McClaren now seems likely to stick with the midfield quartet of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Steven Gerrard, Gareth Barry and Joe Cole that overran the visitors in Saturday's encounter at Wembley.
Hargreaves has returned to Manchester United's Carrington training base to receive further treatment from his club's medial staff with Lampard free to continue his recovery under Chelsea's supervision.
The news that the pair will not be risked for the crunch tie is likely to please Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, both of whom expressed concern that their charges' complaints may be aggravated on international duty.
Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, who played through the pain of a broken toe on Saturday, has declared himself ready to reprise his dynamic central role despite club manager Rafael Benitez's reservations over his involvement.
There may also be a starting place for Gerrard's Anfield colleague Peter Crouch who could return up front at the expense of Emile Heskey after being suspended for the match against Israel.