(Manchester United News)
The FA confirmed illness was the reason behind Chris Smalling's premature exit in England's 1-1 draw with Italy on Tuesday, which may make him a doubt for Manchester United's Barclays Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Saturday.
The in-form centre-back started the match in Turin alongside Everton’s Phil Jagielka, but he left the action on 43 minutes. He was replaced by Michael Carrick, who slotted into midfield as Phil Jones moved back into Roy Hodgson’s defence.
The 25-year-old looked dazed following a challenge just before the half-time break but it was later confirmed that he was feeling unwell. Louis van Gaal will be keen to assess the in-form defender's availability for United when he returns to the Aon Training Complex.
Smalling has made 22 appearances for the Reds this season and has been in impressive form in recent weeks, having produced a couple of commanding displays during consecutive league victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, England's official Twitter account confirmed that, due to a technical issue with the team plane, the squad will remain in Turin and fly home on Wednesday morning.
