England medics ruled Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney's head injury too severe to be considered for international action this week.
The Daily Mail says England's medical team studied photographs of Rooney's cut forehead before ruling him out of the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine.
The wound runs from just below his hairline to above his eyes following a collision with team-mate Phil Jones during Manchester United's training session on Saturday morning.
Rooney's cut is so deep that he cannot head a ball or be involved in contact training sessions until his stitches are removed.
There is also a risk of infection, which is another reason for the decision to release him from international duty this week.
