Call-up for Greening

Jonathan Greening has won a last-minute call-up to the England Under-21 squad. The Middlesbrough midfielder has been called into the 22-man party for the European Championship Finals because West Ham's Michael Carrick withdrew with a groin injury.

The news will come as a huge boost to the former Manchester United player, who missed Boro's FA Cup semi-final with Arsenal because of a hamstring injury and struggled through the rest of the season with groin and calf problems.

He will join up with the party which flew to Basle in Switzerland yesterday ahead of Friday night's opening game against the hosts in Zurich. It promises to be a busy few weeks for Greening as he is due to marry on 8 June, 11 days after the European Championship final.

Carrick's absence, coupled with that of the Spurs defender Ledley King, who pulled out on Monday with an ankle injury – is a blow for David Platt, but the coach is confident that his squad can mount a serious challenge.

Jermaine Jenas the 19-year-old Newcastle midfielder has had a chance to get some experience in the last few months after joining Newcastle's charge into the Champions' League qualifiers, and that will stand him in good stead over the next couple of weeks.

"It's been brilliant," he said. "I managed to get in for the derby at Sunderland and then the games against Arsenal and Liverpool, and they're all big games that I managed to get involved in. That's pleasing for me to be able to get into those games and do well."