Gary Neville has flown home from Manchester United's Far East tour with a groin strain.
Neville had treatment on the injury during training ahead of Friday's clash with FC Seoul but the United medical staff have decided there is no point risking him further.
Although the injury is described as "minor", it almost certainly means he will miss the Audi Cup tournament in Munich.
Indeed, it is a worrying development anyway given Neville's injury record. The veteran defender spent nearly two years on the sidelines with various muscular problems.
The injuries led to him first losing his place to Wes Brown, then Rafael Da Silva and finally John O'Shea, who was given the right-back role for the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona in May.
Surprisingly, 34-year-old Neville was included in the England squad that tackled Kazakhstan and Andorra in World Cup qualifiers last month, although he wasn't offered the opportunity to make his first appearance under Fabio Capello and add to a caps total of 85.
Earlier this week, Sir Alex Ferguson revealed how difficult it was for his old stagers to recover from injury, while at the same time insisting they still had a major role to play.
"It took Gary a while to get back but that is what happens when you get into your 30s," he said.
Source: PA
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