Collymore out of squad

Liverpool's pounds 8.5m striker, Stan Collymore, yesterday became the second player to pull out of Terry Venables' England squad for Wednesday's friendly against Colombia at Wembley.

Collymore has dropped out because the ankle he injured against Leeds in the second Premiership game of the season is still giving him problems.

Venables has not yet called up a replacement, although a leading candidate would be Newcastle's pounds 6m signing, Les Ferdinand.

England's captain, David Platt, withdrew from the squad on Wednesday when it was revealed he needed surgery for a torn cartilage in his right knee. The Arsenal midfield player went into hospital yesterday for the operation.

Stuart McCall, the Rangers midfielder, may be forced to pull out of the Scotland squad to face Finland in a European Championship qualifying match on Wednesday after damaging knee ligaments in his team's 3-2 Coca-Cola Cup win over Stirling.