Richards adds to list of casualties

Micah Richards has become the third City player to withdraw from international duty.

The defender joined up with the England Under 21 squad having sustained a hamstring injury in the latter stages of Sunday's win over Sunderland, but he will now leave Stuart Pearce's squad and returns to City as a precautionary measure, with Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor doing the same.

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As the piece says, he becomes the third player to withdraw from international duty this week (after Vincent Kompany and Valeri Bojinov) and reports suggest Shaun Wright-Phillips may also be doubtful as well.

Although it is nice to see City players line up on the international stage, our own interests are of greater importance and I doubt Mark Hughes is too disappointed. Given the importance of the remaining league fixtures and the tilt at the UEFA Cup, a short break for the majority of the squad could come at precisely the right time.