Ribeiro pulls out of Wales squad

02 September 2010 15:00
Bristol City defender Christian Ribeiro has withdrawn from the Wales Under-21 squad for the forthcoming games against Hungary and Italy. Ribeiro, who missed the majority of last season with cruciate knee ligament damage, is still getting up to full speed following a troublesome back problem that dogged the latter stages of his recovery and pre-season preparations. The 20-year-old was named in Brian Flynn`s squad for Saturday`s game in Hungary and the trip to Italy on Tuesday, but it is too soon for him to play a competitive fixture. "I have only played in two reserve games. I had 45 minutes against Cheltenham and 90 minutes against Aldershot," said Ribeiro. "My fitness levels got so low and I have had to work really hard to get them back up. "Hopefully, soon I will get a chance to show what I can do and reap the rewards."

Source: PA