Micah Richards withdraws from Under-21s

England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce today confirmed that Manchester City defender Micah Richards has withdrawn from the England squad ahead of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Denmark.

Richards, 22, has 14 Under-21 caps, including the 2009 European Championship final defeat to Germany, but will not add to his tally over the summer after suffering a hamstring injury that will see him sidelined for some time.

It will be seen as a further disruption to Pearce's squad after he left Andy Carroll and Jack Wilshere out of his 23-man party - although he will confirm a replacement for Richards to complete the squad before the June 1 deadline.