England’s Foster out of Hungary friendly

Birmingham City goalkeeper Ben Foster has become the latest player to pull out of the England squad for their friendly international against Hungary at Wembley on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Foster, previously with Manchester United, has a back injury and was told to return to Premier League club Birmingham by England manager Fabio Capello on Tuesday.

Capello now has an unwanted problem just over a day before kick-off, given that Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson announced his international retirement hours after being recalled by the Italian to England duty on Sunday.

Manchester City’s Joe Hart, the only one of the three originally selected goalkeepers still in the squad, could now play the whole match.

After Foster’s withdrawal, Capello announced two uncapped replacements in Watford’s Scott Loach, promoted from the Under-21s, and Blackburn reserve keeper Frankie Fielding.

It is understood the selections of Loach and Fielding are solely concerned with the Hungary match and that the likes of West Ham’s Robert Green, despite his World Cup howler against the United States, and Wolves’s Scott Carson may well have been called upon if Wednesday’s match was a competitive fixture.

Loach has played two seasons for Watford in the second-tier Championship but Fielding has yet to make a first-team appearance for Rovers.