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Capello confirms his squad

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 02/06/2010
Football betting

England coach Fabio Capello has decided not to take Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker, Leighton Baines, Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott or Darren Bent to the World Cup finals in South Africa.

The Italian has axed the seven players from the initial 30-man squad he announced last month.

Walcott, Baines, Huddlestone and Bent all failed to impress during the recent warm-up games against Mexico and Japan while Dawson and Parker failed to feature in either match and Johnson came on as a late substitute against the Mexicans.

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Elsewhere, Arsenal have handed a new long-term contract to teenage midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

The 19-year-old Wales international, who is currently recovering from a horrific broken leg injury, is believed to have penned a new five-year contract with the Gunners.

Long-time online betting favourite St Nicholas Abbey will not run in Saturday's Epsom Derby after suffering what has been described as a 'slight muscle injury'.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien has revealed that the colt will not line up in the classic due to a problem in his hind quarters.

In cricket, England have made one change to their squad for the second Test against Bangladesh at Old Trafford with Nottinghamshire's Ryan Sidebottom replacing the injured Tim Bresnan.

Yorkshire all-rounder Bresnan, who took four wickets in the first Test victory against the Tigers at Lord's, has a stress fracture in his left foot.

Sidebottom has not featured in a Test match for England since January although he played a key role in the recent World Twenty20 success in the West Indies.

In rugby union, Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson has been forced to drop out of England's tour of Australia and New Zealand after picking up a hamstring problem at the weekend.

Simpson sustained the injury after coming off the replacements bench during England's Twickenham victory against the Barbarians on Sunday and has been replaced in Martin Johnson's 44-man squad by Paul Hodgson.

Meanwhile, Saracens have added two new players to their squad after losing Saturday's Guinness Premiership final to Leicester Tigers.

Centre Nils Mordt arrives at Vicarage Road after spells with London Irish, Northampton and Harlequins while loosehead prop Matt Parr moves to Sarries from Nottingham.

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