Anelka ruled out by injury

Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka has been ruled out of France’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Lithuania on Wednesday and Les Bleus have also lost Sevilla defender Julien Escude to injury.

A brief statement on the French Football Federation’s official website said only that the injured players “left Clairefontaine and the French football team on Monday morning and would therefore be absent for Les Bleus’ penultimate qualifying match”.

Anelka, 28, has 42 caps to his name and 11 goals – including the opener in France’s 6-0 demolition of the Faroe Islands on Saturday.

Twenty-year-old Escude has played five times for his country.

France are third in Group B – two points behind leaders Scotland but just one adrift of Italy.