Rusedski facing spell on the sidelines

Greg Rusedski could be out of competitive tennis for weeks after suffering another heel injury, forcing his withdrawal from Britain's Davis Cup tie with Thailand, which starts in Birmingham on Friday.

Rusedski needed an operation to cure a similar heel problem in his right leg and now he could be heading down the road towards further surgery and rehabilitation.

Having defeated Thai No1 Paradorn Srichaphan at the US Open, Rusedski hurt his heel while losing to eventual champion Pete Sampras. "I am very disappointed that I am unable to play against Thailand and this is due to an inflammation in my left foot," he said.

"I have sought advise from my surgeon, Mr Nixon and Dr Turner from the LTA and their conclusive diagnosis is that I need to take at a minimum of two weeks' rest and undertake intensive physiotherapy treatment every day.

"I wish the team all the best and believe they can win this tie."

The loss of Rusedski for the tie plus the on-going worries about Tim Henman's shoulder injury puts added pressure on Martin Lee and Arvind Parmar, who look certain to be the singles players against Thailand. Henman is being lined up for a doubles appearance on Saturday but if he continues to show signs of improvement in his right shoulder then captain Roger Taylor will gamble on the British No1 in the singles.

It would be a major risk as Henman has yet to prove he can serve after limiting himself to a 90-minute practice session yesterday preceded and followed by lengthy stretching exercises and weights work.