England players call off boycott

The row over Rio Ferdinand's expulsion from the squad for failing to attend a routine drugs test at Manchester United last month rumbled on yesterday - with the Football Association and the 24-strong squad still at odds with each other.

The entire squad had suggested they would not travel to Turkey as a gesture of support for Ferdinand. But after a meeting between the FA and the players last night the threat was lifted.

FA chief executive Mark Palios said: "I'm very pleased to tell you the full England squad will be travelling to Turkey.

"This is a big match and Rio is an important player. We have held several meetings and discussed the issues with Rio being left out of the squad.

"Given the nature of the disciplinary process, I am unable to comment further on Rio's particular case.

"However, we have heard what the players have had to say on Rio's situation and the general situation of anti-doping rules.

"We've listened carefully to them - and they have some very strong views.

"I have to work with the procedures currently in place and we've already started a comprehensive review of these."

He said some people had raised issues regarding confidentiality.

Mr Palios said: "We are very well aware of our duties in this respect but have no doubt we have acted entirely properly during this difficult and complex issue.

"Now the match must be the focus of everybody's attention. We must put this behind us and concentrate on the game and look forward to the football."

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted his preparations had been like nothing he had experienced before.

"It has been a different build-up to this game, I must say," he said.

"We haven't started to talk football yet, which is a little bit strange.

"I am very happy to see everything has been sorted out before the game.

"From tomorrow we can focus 200 per cent on football."

He added: "The players have created a very strong group and I am sure you will see that as well on Saturday in Turkey.

"I really look forward to the next few days, to football talk and the game."

The England squad released a statement last night in which they accused the FA of letting down the entire squad and manager, saying that "they had failed us very badly".

The squad said there had never been any serious question over their participation in Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier.

But they made it clear how badly they felt Ferdinand was treated, adding that he was "entitled to confidentiality and a fair hearing in front of an independent commission".

The statement added: "We believe the people responsible for making that decision did not give Rio Ferdinand that due process, which has disrupted and made the team weaker against the wishes of the manager and the players."

Meanwhile, the Turkish media were last night revelling in the crisis which threatened to derail the England team's preparations for the match.

Seat Yalmaer, sports editor of Hurriyet, the country's biggest selling newspaper, said Turkish fans could hardly believe what was happening to the England team. Speaking from Istanbul, he said: "It's all over the newspapers here. Everyone is very pleased about the situation.

"The Turkish players have said it is good for us because Rio is a great defender and it will make our job easier without him there.

"Everyone is very shocked, everyone is discussing the English problems and saying 'What's going on?'"

Mr Yalmaer said he was surprised the FA had decided to drop the Manchester United star before he had been given the chance to explain his side of the story.

He said: "This is a big surprise. I don't know why they did it at this time.

"But we are very happy. We know players don't want to play and this is a very important match for us. We now have a much better chance of winning than we did last week.

"Papers are saying it's time to rewrite history, because we've never beaten England, but I think we will never have as good a chance."