Football: Injury headaches mount for Hoddle

GLENN HODDLE'S plans were thrown into further disarray last night as Ray Parlour was effectively ruled out of both Euro 2000 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Luxembourg.

Rob Lee is also still on the growing midfield casualty list after missing Arsenal's game at home to Newcastle with a suspected virus.

Hoddle is already definitely without David Beckham and Paul Ince (suspension) and Steve McManaman (injury) for next Saturday's match at Wembley against Bulgaria.

Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, said yesterday that he was unsure whether Paul Scholes, who has a foot injury, would be ready in time, while Rio Ferdinand also went off injured in West Ham's defeat at Blackburn.

Now Arsenal's manager, Arsene Wenger, has revealed that Parlour is likely to be out of action for another two weeks with an ankle injury.

Of Lee's absence from the action at Highbury, Newcastle's manager Ruud Gullit explained: "He is still sick.