Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp's England injury jinx has struck yet again to ensure that he is ruled out of the European Championship finals along with Ray Parlour.

Redknapp, who missed the last World Cup because of injury and also had his participation at Euro 96 curtailed due to ankle ligament damage, will not travel to the Euro 2000 tournament due to a knee problem.

His absence from the final 22-man squad was confirmed tonight by Kevin Keegan following the results of a scan.

The England coach also revealed that Arsenal midfielder Parlour would similarly have to miss out because of a knee injury.

Keegan had previously lost the services of Jason Wilcox on the first day of training last week, replacing him with Gareth Barry.

He now has 26 players to choose from for his final squad, which he is scheduled to name after tomorrow's friendly against Ukraine barring any late injury worries from that game.

The England coach said: "Sadly both players, having had a scan, will not be available for Euro 2000.

"I have had to rule them out but I really hope they can be available to me again for the friendly against France in September and the World Cup qualifiers."

The news is certainly a huge blow for Redknapp, who has started four games under Keegan - including both play-off ties against Scotland and a goal-scoring display against Belgium - and has become a regular in the squad when available.

Redknapp said: "I have seen a specialist today who has told me that I really need to rest my knee during the coming month or so - so my hopes of making the Euro 2000 squad are over.

"Obviously I'm very disappointed but considering the time I was out during last season, I was delighted that Kevin Keegan originally named me in his 28.

"I spoke to him today and thanked him for the opportunity. I also asked him to wish the lads all the best for the summer.

"I will spend the next few weeks as a diehard England supporter and will then concentrate on getting myself fully fit so that I can play my part in helping Liverpool in their challenge for next season's Premiership title."

Redknapp, 26, certainly has a depressing history of injury woe with England, having torn a hamstring in a friendly against Switzerland in November 1995 and then damaged his ankle ligaments after coming on as a substitute at Euro 96 against Scotland.

He broke the same ankle against South Africa in May 1997 and then in April the following year damaged a cartilage in a tackle with Coventry's Dion Dublin - an injury which ruled him out of the World Cup squad despite being named in the final pool of 30 players.

Having returned to action towards the end of this season in March with a handful of appearances for Liverpool after being ruled out from November last year, Redknapp further injured his knee during the final minutes of England's training session last Thursday.

Parlour, who made his England debut as a substitute in Keegan's first match in charge against Poland and has earned six further caps since then - all but one as a replacement - is also out of the reckoning for what could have been his first tournament.

The 27-year-old midfielder came on against Brazil last Saturday with 30 minutes left only to injure his knee ligaments in the final few minutes and a scan has shown that he also cannot take part in the tournament.

Parlour said: "As soon as I got tackled on Saturday I knew I had a problem, even though it was the sort of tackle that I would have got up from on another day.

"It's not a bad injury but it will take me a little while to get fully fit - too late for the tournament. I was in very good shape so it's really disappointing for me."

With Parlour and Redknapp ruled out, Keegan's options as he considers which four other players will be missing from his final party have now been narrowed down.

David James is almost certain to be excluded as the fourth-choice keeper, with Keegan having confirmed that Nigel Martyn will play against Ukraine tomorrow and that Richard Wright will face Malta on Saturday.

Andy Cole is the favourite to miss out from the six strikers in the provisional squad unless Robbie Fowler breaks down during tomorrow's game - even though Kevin Phillips has showed the nervousness in the camp by admitting he still fears the worst.

As for the midfield and defence, Keegan, who virtually confirmed Steve Gerrard's place in the squad by naming him to make his debut against Ukraine alongside Steve McManaman at the centre of a 5-3-2 formation, has to pick two from what seems to be four possibles.

The quartet appears to consist of centre-backs Barry and Rio Ferdinand, as well as midfielders Kieron Dyer and Nick Barmby - with possibly the ability of Barry and Barmby to play on the troublesome left flank giving them a slight edge.

Keegan's decisions will be relayed to the squad individually tomorrow afternoon at the team hotel after training, along with an explanation and the caveat that the four excluded players could be back in if a serious injury occurs against Ukraine.

Keegan said: "I don't see this as the worst job I have ever had. I can genuinely turn round and say to some of them - 'look, you know you will be involved in the future but it is just not this time'.

"Those six will come to the game and I will tell the ones that I want on stand-by because obviously if we get injuries against Malta then we can still, with medical proof, fetch people in. So I will tell them to keep training."

Michael Owen and Dennis Wise will both be rested for tomorrow's game due to slightly stiff backs and while Tony Adams is "absolutely fine", Keegan must decide whether he needs to play him or should instead go for Martin Keown, Sol Campbell and Gareth Southgate.

With Martyn in goal and David Beckham and Phil Neville set to be wing-backs, Paul Scholes and Paul Ince will contest the third midfield slot alongside McManaman - in a largely free role allied to defensive responsibilities - and debutant Gerrard.

Tottenham supporters can get the first glimpse of the £11million hitman they hope will transform the fortunes of their club.

Sergei Rebrov is expected to line up in attack alongside Milan star Andrei Shevchenko as Ukraine face England for the first time.

The Ukraine team arrived in London and stepped straight into confusion because Wembley officials decided the pitch was too wet to train on - much to the annoyance of the eastern Europeans.

A training session scheduled for 5pm had to be hastily re-arranged, and Rebrov and his team-mates were put through their paces at the training ground of Tottenham's arch rivals Arsenal.

Coach Valery Lobanovsky is determined to put on a good show as his country tackle England for the first time.

The former Soviet state, with a population of about 52 million, have emerged as one of European football's dark horses, with champions Dynamo Kiev earning a fearsome reputation at club level.

Kiev reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 1999, thanks largely to the prolific strike duo of Rebrov and Shevchenko. Rebrov scored at Wembley as Kiev drew 1-1 against Arsenal in the group stages that year.

Shevchenko moved to AC Milan last summer, where he maintained his superb goalscoring record with 21 goals from 30 Serie A games, and Rebrov now looks set to follow his former Kiev team-mate into exile at Spurs.

"Rebrov is a top quality player, and Tottenham are obviously interested in him playing for their club," said Ukraine's assistant coach Vladimir Veremeyev.

Ukraine may not be at Euro 2000 but they consider the friendly at Wembley to be a major part of the preparation for their World Cup qualification campaign.

Veremeyev said: "Naturally this is an important game for both teams.

"Kevin Keegan has to choose the 22 players out of 28 before Euro 2000, and we are preparing for the World Cup in 2002.

"We will be playing World Cup games in the autumn and we must prepare for those matches by testing some players and seeing how the team are playing."

Ukraine (possible team):

Kernozenko (Kiev), Luzhny (Arsenal), Dmitrulin (Kiev), Vashchuk (Kiev), Holovko (Kiev), Moroz (Krivbass Krivyi Rig), Popov (Shakhtyor Donetsk), Zubov (Shakhtyor Donetsk), Husin (Kiev), Rebrov (Kiev), Shevchenko (Milan).