Aaron Lennon will miss England's World Cup qualifying games against San Marino and Montenegro through injury and Michael Dawson also looks unlikely to play, Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said on Sunday evening.
Winger Lennon was omitted from the Spurs squad that lost to Fulham after he suffered hamstring and groin injuries during Thursday night's defeat to Inter Milan.
Centre-back Dawson had to come off at half-time during Sunday's 1-0 defeat and was not expected to join up with the national team ahead of Friday's game against San Marino, which comes four days before their trip to Montenegro.
Lennon has featured prominently for Roy Hodgson this season after re-discovering his best form under Villas-Boas, but he will not be able to join up with the squad, the Portuguese said on Sunday night.
"Lennon won't be able to make it," Villas-Boas said. "He has been struggling a lot with injuries. We risked him the other day against Inter Milan and he is on the brink of rupturing his muscle so we have decided to take him out of this game. He has groin and hamstring (injuries)."
Villas-Boas thinks Dawson has only a remote chance of joining up with the squad.
"He felt his (hamstring) muscle going in the first half," he said.
"If we had brought him on in the second half we would be risking him a major injury.
"I think Michael will be assessed by the England team doctors, they will be in communication with our medical department to find out if he will make it or not. He probably won't, but it's something that they have to decide between them."
Source: PA
