Watkins ruled out of Latvia qualifier, returns to Aston Villa for assessment | OneFootball

Ollie Watkins has withdrawn from the England squad and returned to Aston Villa after sustaining an injury during Thursday’s 3-0 friendly win over Wales at Wembley Stadium.

The striker scored England’s second goal on the night but collided with the post late in the first half while attempting to convert another chance, appearing to injure his left leg in the process.

Watkins received treatment from the medical team and was able to continue briefly before being replaced by Marcus Rashford at half-time.

He was later seen walking gingerly through the mixed zone and insisted he was ‘fine’, although England have since confirmed he will not feature in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Latvia.

Manager Thomas Tuchel initially played down fears of a serious injury after the match, describing the incident as ‘very painful but not harmful’.

However, England’s medical team decided the 29-year-old should be sent back to Birmingham for further assessment.

Watkins’ withdrawal leaves England with a 22-man squad for the trip to Riga, where a victory would secure automatic qualification for next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

It is the second change to the squad since the Wales fixture, with defender Jarell Quansah also returning to Bayer Leverkusen as a precaution.

Harry Kane, who missed Thursday’s game with a minor knock sustained at Bayern Munich, could return to the starting line-up in Watkins’ absence.

Watkins’ injury is a concern for Villa ahead of their Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The forward, who has scored once in ten appearances this season, will be assessed by Villa’s medical staff later today before a decision is made on his availability.

The England international has been a key figure for Villa, scoring 87 goals in his first five full seasons and helping the club qualify for Europe last term.

His form also made him one of Tuchel’s preferred options up front during the current international campaign.

Villa will hope the injury proves minor as they prepare for a crucial run of fixtures after the international break, with Tottenham and Manchester United among their next opponents.