England vs Slovenia: Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick sees England return ruined by groin injury

The Manchester United midfielder was only a stand-by player for the World Cup last summer

Michael Carrick picked up a groin injury and was forced to withdraw from the England squad (Getty Images)

Michael Carrick is out of the England squad to face Slovenia in the Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday after picking up yet another injury, which may well also impact on Louis van Gaal’s depleted Manchester United squad.

It is particularly frustrating for Carrick, who missed the start of the season with an ankle ligament injury and has been training with the United squad for the last four weeks but only recently returned to first-team action against Manchester City. He went for a scan on his groin having withdrawn from a light training session earlier and has returned to Manchester.

Andros Townsend reported for England duty with an existing ankle problem and is also likely to pull out of the game at Wembley and the friendly against Scotland on Tuesday. The Football Association medical department will decide on Thursday. Hodgson selected 11 midfielders in his original squad so has the personnel to cope with withdrawals.

Carrick, 33, has just 31 caps for England, despite making his debut more than 13 years ago. He was the oldest player in the squad and had not been selected by Hodgson since the decision to name the United midfielder only as one of the stand-by players for the World Cup in the summer.

Speaking at St George’s Park before his injury, picked up in training, Carrick said that he had not considered announcing his retirement from international football when he was left behind by Hodgson for Brazil. His England career has spanned four World Cups yet he has played just once at the tournament, against Ecuador in the second round in Germany in 2006.

“It didn’t cross my mind [to retire],” he said. “Getting injured so quickly [in the summer] that took my mind on to that – it was the case that I wouldn’t be playing any football for so long I just needed to get myself fit. That was the most important thing.”