Relations between the England set-up and Tottenham Hotspur remained at breaking point last night over Ledley King's controversial call-up to the national squad after Fabio Capello rejected the opportunity to hold clear-the-air talks with the Spurs manager, Harry Redknapp, and refused to rule out selecting the centre-half again for future internationals.
King's surprise return to the international fold for the first time since 2007 ultimately amounted to a mere 16 hours before the 28-year-old, who is unable to train between games because of chronic knee problems, was released back to his club to resume his personal treatment programme. Redknapp had described the player's original selection as "ridiculous" but, though King's departure appeared to represent an embarrassing climbdown for Capello, there remains a defiance around the England camp over his future involvement.
Indeed, the possibility remains that King could be involved in a major finals with his country despite his club's obvious unease at his potential participation. The national physio, Gary Lewin, who had been working in conjunction with Spurs' medical staff, had attempted to spark a dialogue between Capello and Redknapp yesterday, though the Italian is understood to have rejected the chance to speak with the Tottenham manager.
Relations between the two had already been strained after Redknapp, then with Portsmouth, was highly critical of England's performance while working as a television pundit for the friendly against the Czech Republic in August. The Spurs manager's public comments on the King issue this week have further unimpressed the national coach, with little sign of reconciliation evident. The England staff believe they, like Tottenham, have the player's best interests at heart and have been told by King – who will meet his advisors next week to decide how best to proceed – that he does not want to give up on his international career.
Capello had been anxious to have the player around the squad and integrate him back into the set-up after an absence of almost two years, having seen him excel in 16 games under Redknapp this season. They have at least now witnessed the true extent of the centre-half's knee problems, which became clear when King reported with his joints swollen following his exertions in Saturday's Premier League win over Chelsea.
Capello had attended that game, apparently noting that the player felt his knee after about 20 minutes. Yet his No2, Franco Baldini, had watched the defender's excellent display at Aston Villa on the previous weekend and had reported that he did not touch his knee in a sign of discomfort at any point in that match. Regardless, the reality that the joint swells up post-match was clear yesterday and, with King unable to train Monday to Friday with his club, England duly sanctioned his withdrawal before the team's first training session.
"Ledley King will continue his rehabilitation over the course of the international break following discussions and assessments overnight by the medical staff of both the club and the England team," confirmed an FA spokesman. "It has been agreed by both parties that the best interests of the player are served by continuing his individual training programme at the club and he will play no further part in England's preparations or participate in the friendly against Slovakia or the World Cup qualifier against Ukraine."
King was briefly at London Colney with the rest of the national squad, speaking to Ashley Cole, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney before holding short conversations with Capello and Baldini. There was a very public handshake with the head coach before he was whisked away. England boast five other centre-halves in their squad and so are adequately covered in his absence. Two other players missed training yesterday, with Peter Crouch later undergoing a precautionary scan on a tight calf. Both the Portsmouth striker and the Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was suffering from a sore back, are expected to prove their fitness before Saturday's game at Wembley.
