Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne withdraws from England squad for Scotland and France matches

Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne has withdrawn from the England squad for a June double-header against Scotland and France due to injury, manager Gareth Southgate confirmed on Tuesday (30 May).

The right-back, who has amassed 14 senior international caps to date, will not be available for either a potentially feisty 2018 World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park or a subsequent friendly at the Stade de France due to a back injury that had been bothering him at the time of the initial squad announcement.

Southgate selected three right-backs as a contingency plan and appears particularly excited about what Kieran Trippier can offer.

The former Burnley full-back was handed his maiden call-up in the aftermath of an impressive end to the season at Tottenham Hotspur in which he replaced Kyle Walker as Mauricio Pochettino's first-choice option.

"We'll be without Nathaniel Clyne," Southgate revealed at a press conference. "He had been carrying an injury and that's why we named three right-backs, we thought that might be an issue.

"So we'll be with Kieran and Kyle Walker, but Kieran impressed me at Burnley in the season they had in the Premier League when he was there and I think he has finished the season very well with Tottenham. His play in the final third is of very high quality, he is one of the best crossers of the ball in the league."

A £12.5m ($16m) signing from Southampton in July 2015, Clyne made 41 appearances across all competitions this term as fourth-place Liverpool qualified for the play-off round of next season's Champions League in Jurgen Klopp's first full season at the helm. The 26-year-old was named in the travelling party for a lucrative post-season friendly in Australia last week, but played no part in a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium.

Clyne is the only player to withdraw from Southgate's latest squad, one which was notable for the continued absence of captain and record goalscorer Wayne Rooney. Reds teammate Daniel Sturridge impressed during a 45-minute cameo in that aforementioned friendly, but was subsequently omitted by Southgate as he continues to manage a long-term hip problem.

Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson also missed out through injury, along with Burnley's Michael Keane, Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater and Everton playmaker Ross Barkley.