Ryan Bertrand has withdrawn from the England squad for upcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy as a precautionary measure, the Football Association has confirmed.
The 28-year-old only joined up with the rest of his England teammates on Tuesday but has already been forced to return to Southampton after picking up a minor back problem.
Gareth Southgate still has Ashley Young and Danny Rose as options at left-back and has opted against replacing Bertrand for the time being, who now misses out on the chance to impress ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
“Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand has returned to his club for further assessment on a back issue,” a statement read on the FA’s official Twitter account.
“Bertrand’s withdrawal is a precautionary measure and he will play no part in the forthcoming fixtures against the Netherlands and Italy.”
Southampton are currently battling relegation and it’s been a difficult campaign for Bertrand as a result.
In fact, Bertrand is not even among the top five highest WhoScored rated left-backs of all English players in the Premier League this season (6.67).
