Euro 2012 News: Injury affects Aston Villa star's England hopes

The striker was stretchered off in the second half of his club's 0-0 draw at Wigan on Saturday and it has since been announced that he has ruptured ankle ligaments, a setback that will rule him out for around 12 weeks and could yet require an operation.

It is widely reported as a fatal blow to his prospects of travelling to Poland and Ukraine, the logic being that if he fails to prove his fitness for Aston Villa before the end of the campaign, the national team boss won't view him as an important enough player to risk a place in the squad on.

This writer isn't so sure, as with Wayne Rooney banned for two games, it would arguably be a bigger gamble to snub the most prolific English forward besides him in recent years if there is a reasonable chance of him recovering, especially if the alternatives are as inexperienced as those Stuart Pearce has selected to face the Netherlands.

After all, there will be two friendly matches against Norway and Belgium prior to the tournament for the coach to judge if he is good enough shape to pick in the final 23, which will presumably be named after those fixtures, as is customary.

The identity of the manager leading England into Euro 2012 is still likely to be as key to determining whether Bent is involved as the injury, as it is no secret that he didn't enjoy a great relationship with 1.4840/85 favourite Harry Redknapp when they worked together at Tottenham.

If it is to be Pearce though, the 28-year-old's inclusion in this squad in an otherwise young attack during a period in which his club form hasn't been great - no goals in his last three appearances -suggests that the Under-21 boss rates him fairly highly.