Joey Barton "can't blame" Rio Ferdinand for England withdrawal

Joey Barton has admitted that he does not blame Rio Ferdinand for pulling out of the England squad earlier today.

England manager Roy Hodgson confirmed that the Manchester United defender will play no part against San Marino or Montenegro because he has a "detailed pre-planned training and medical programme".

However, some reports have questioned the motivation behind Ferdinand's withdrawal, with a host of posts on Twitter suggesting that he is still disappointed with the way that he and his brother Anton were treated by the Football Association during the latter's racism case with John Terry last year.

Marseille's loanee midfielder Barton revealed that he is of that school of thought by posting on Twitter: "Can't blame @rioferdy5 really can you? If they had treated you and your family like that, would you do them any favours? #Wouldntofthoughtso."

Despite the speculation, Ferdinand has admitted that he is still keen to add to his 81 international caps.