Aston Villa striker Darren Bent was due to be included in England’s squad for Wednesday’s friendly with Netherlands but pulled out injured, he said on Sunday.

Danny Welbeck was therefore chosen as the fourth striker in the squad named by Fabio Capello on Saturday despite looking set to be a Manchester United reserve this season while Tottenham Hotspur’s Jermain Defoe was overlooked.

“Gutted I had to pull out of the England squad, the shoulder has been bothering me and want to make sure I’m fully fit for the big KO (Premier league kickoff) next week,” Bent wrote on Twitter.

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere was included in the squad despite suffering his own knock.

“They can include him as much as they want, he will not play,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told his club’s website (www.arsenal.com). (Reporting by Mark Meadows; Editing by Sonia Oxley)