Raheem Sterling withdraws from England squad due to back injury

Raheem Sterling withdraws from England squad due to back injury

Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has pulled out of the England squad for the upcoming friendlies with Spain and Switzerland due to a back problem.

Sterling was on the scoresheet and played the full 90 minutes for City during their 2-1 win over Newcastle United on Saturday, but did not join up with his international teammates at St George’s Park on Monday evening.

The 23-year-old is suffering from a lower back injury and has subsequently withdrawn from the squad, with Gareth Southgate opting against naming an immediate replacement.

England host Spain at Wembley on Saturday before facing Switzerland at the King Power Stadium in their first matches since reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup this summer.

The likes of Luke Shaw, Joe Gomez, James Tarkowski, Adam Lallana and Alex McCarthy have all been added to Southgate’s squad since the tournament in Russia.