Woodgate out of England's Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia

LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) Middlesbrough central defender Jonathan Woodgate will miss England's Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia next month due to knee surgery, the Premier League club said today.

Woodgate will play Boro's final game of the season against Fulham on Sunday and then have ''exploratory surgery on his left knee'' on Monday, the club said on their Web site.

Boro, who recently made the 27-year-old's loan from Real Madrid a permanent move to his hometown club, are hoping to pinpoint a problem that has troubled Woodgate for the last couple of months.

However, the operation means he will miss England's Group E game in Estonia on June 6.

Pressure has been building on coach Steve McClaren since a disappointing run of results left England fourth in the group.

Woodgate would almost certainly have been in the squad as cover for first-choice central pairing Rio Ferdinand and captain John Terry. McClaren has also lost his reserve right back, Micah Richards, due to surgery.

As a warm-up for the Estonia game, England have a friendly against Brazil on June 1, the senior side's first fixture at the new Wembley Stadium.

REUTERS AKD KP1617