Senior stars drop down to U21s

Theo Walcott and Gabriel Agbonlahor are among five players to drop down from the senior squad for England Under-21s' friendly against Slovenia.

Walcott, Agbonlahor, Joe Lewis, David Wheater and Tom Huddlestone all travelled with Fabio Capello's squad for the clash against Trinidad and Tobago at the end of last season, but they are all now back with Stuart Pearce's U21s for Tuesday's clash at Hull's KC Stadium.

They are all unlikely to feature for the seniors against the Czech Republic next Wednesday but a call-up from Capello remains a possibility.

Manchester City defender Micah Richards has been included by Pearce after recovering from a knee injury sustained in February which saw him miss the rest of the campaign before returning in the UEFA Cup last month.

It is still uncertain where he features in Capello's pecking order but he will be given a chance to impress for the U21s under Pearce, who nurtured him at City before getting sacked.

Aaron Lennon has been included, as have City pair Michael Johnson and Nedum Onuoha, all of whom have been injured in previous squads.

Pearce said: "It is a very strong squad and it's a sign of our intent for the season coming up not just for the U21s but the seniors as well."

Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell will be returning to the KC Stadium after spending last season on loan at the club.

"Fraizer is a player that the Hull fans will know well and he was a massive part of Hull getting into the Premier League," added Pearce.

"The fact he has been around the Manchester United squad in pre-season shows he is progressing and he showed an excellent attitude when he was involved in the U21s at the end of last season."