FOREST Green striker Matty Taylor has withdrawn from the England C squad for the friendly against Latvia U23s on September 10.

The 23-year-old had started the season in terrific form and hoped to recover from the knee strain he picked up before the Lincoln game two weeks ago, in time to make his international debut.

Rovers manager David Hockaday played his 'goal poacher' for the final 10 minutes of the Alfreton on Saturday but the decision was made after the match not to risk Taylor's recovery with the trip to Latvia sandwiched in between league games against Braintree and Halifax.

Taylor was upbeat about the decision and said: "We didn't think it was worth me risking it.

"Never mind, hopefully I'll get selected for the next (England C) game when I'm fully fit."

England C is made up of under 23 non-league players and the Latvia match will provide England C boss Paul Fairclough with his first opportunity to assess the pool of players ahead of next year's International Challenge Trophy (ICT).

There is a further friendly at home in November against the Czech Republic's U21s side and another in March against a yet to be decided opponent.

FGR's James Norwood will travel to Latvia, while defender Eddie Oshodi is named in the contingency squad.