Aaron Lennon's injury claim raises fears he could leave England without a leg to stand on

By Oliver Holt

Published 22:58 27/10/09

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There is disquiet at Spurs about the way an injured Aaron Lennon refused to stay on the pitch against Stoke on Saturday even though his team had already used their three substitutes and there were 20 minutes left to play.

Lennon was able to walk down the tunnel to the Spurs' dressing room, so he should have been able to provide at least a nominal presence on the pitch to help out his team.

Some have argued that his actions can be traced to his desperation not to jeopardise his fitness for the World Cup next summer but if that is the case, Lennon is misguided.

Because even though there have never been any doubts about his ability, there have been plenty about his determination and his ability to cope with minor injuries.

By doing what he did at White Hart Lane on Saturday, Lennon has only succeeded in reopening the debate about whether taking him to South Africa would be a huge gamble.

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