Pilkington’s Ireland bow halted by injury again

Giovanni Trapattoni’s plans to give Anthony Pilkington his long-awaited debut against England at Wembley tomorrow week have been thwarted by injury.

Having played the final Premier League games of the season while nursing inflammation of the knee, the Norwich man has now been ruled out of Ireland’s end of season games under the advice of the club’s medical team, according to the FAI. In a statement, the association added that the player would undergo treatment on his knee over the coming weeks in preparation for next season.

The news will come as a particularly disappointing blow to Trapattoni who, at his recent squad announcement, spoke highly of Pilkington’s goal-scoring threat and made clear his intention to start the winger against England in the glamour friendly at Wembley on May 29.

Given that Pilkington is getting married on May 31, it was always considered unlikely that he would be available for the subsequent friendlies against Georgia in Dublin and Spain in New York, as well as the World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands at the Aviva Stadium.

But now, his confirmed absence for the England game means his Ireland debut has been delayed yet again, after injury had previously forced the player to withdraw from the squads for the Poland friendly in February and the World Cup games against Sweden and Austria in March.

Pilkington, though, feels the added time off will set him up for the challenges ahead of both club and country in 2013/2014.

“The (Norwich) management and the physio have pulled me out — I have been struggling with my knee so I need to get treatment through the summer and an extra four games is not going to help me through pre-season,” Pilkington said.

“I need a rest and I need the treatment that I am going to be getting through the summer in the off season, so hopefully I can put that behind me and come back pre-season 100% fit.

“It is unfortunate these injuries have popped up at the worst times for me, but like I say, I have got to put that behind me now, get right for next season and then hopefully see if I can get back in the (Ireland) squad.”

Pilkington added: “It wouldn’t be right for me to go away and then come back in pre-season struggling.

“I have had to manage the (patellar tendon) injury towards the end of the season and because of my knee, I have picked up a few hamstring injuries.

“So I will go away in the summer, work hard, get 100% fit and come back flying.”

There has been no replacement for Pilkington called up for the latest Ireland squad.

Meanwhile Manchester City midfielder Jack Rodwell has been called into the England squad for the friendies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil.

The 22-year-old has endured an injury-plagued debut campaign with City, but returned for the last month of the season and scored both goals in the Blues 3-2 defeat by Norwich on Sunday.