Micah Richards has assured the fans his knee problem is not as bad as initially feared. The Manchester City defender was forced to pull out of the England Under 21 squad for the upcoming European Championship play-off against Wales.

"It's not as bad as was first expected," Richards told City's official website.

"There's still a bit of inflammation and swelling of the knee, so it's for the best to just rest it over this period."

Richards has been overlooked by Fabio Capello of late but he hopes to force his way back into the senior England setup.

He admitted: "It's a bit frustrating and I'd be lying if I didn't say it was frustrating. I'll just bide my time and when the time's right hopefully I'll be able to get back in.

"It's up to Fabio Capello and it's his decision so the most I can do is make sure I'm playing 100 per cent for City and make sure I'm playing well to get results here.

"Then hopefully that should be enough to get me in the squad."