By David Gold
July 3 – Team GB men’s football forward Daniel Sturridge has had tests for meningitis, threatening his participation in the Olympic Games.
Sturridge was only named yesterday as part of Stuart Pearce’s 18-man Team GB men’s football team, the first time the home nations will compete together in the Olympics since a failed bid to qualify for Munich 1972.
The Chelsea forward was primed to be a key member of the squad, as the main forward in the squad.
Although Craig Bellamy and Scott Sinclair both play up front, both are more suited to playing on either side of a front three than as a main centre forward.
The other striker in the squad is Marvin Sordell, who plays for Bolton Wanderers but is inexperienced.
Pearce is able to use players on his 35 man shortlist he selected the last 18 from if he needs to replace members of the squad.
However, if he needs to choose another player in Sturridge’s place it must be someone under the age of 23, so there is no prospect of David Beckham being called up as a replacement.
That means that Huddersfield forward Jordan Rhodes could be in contention for a call up.
Rhodes (pictured below, in blue) struck 40 times last season as his club won promotion to the Championship.
However a call up for the youngster would anger the Scottish Football Association (SFA), as they are opposed to their players participating in Team GB.
Like their Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts, they fear that their participation would threaten their independence as a football nation.
No Scots or Northern Irish players were picked by Pearce, though five Welshmen were selected.
If Sturridge can make it, he will report for duty ahead of a camp in Loughborough next weekend.
Britain play their first Olympic game against Senegal on July 26, before facing the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
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