Jessica Ennis out of Euro Indoors with ankle injury

EUROPEAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Venue: Palais Omnisports, Paris Date: 4-6 March Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, Red Button and BBC Sport website (UK only); listen live on BBC 5 live sports extra - Full coverage details

Event schedule on the official website

Ennis was set to lead the GB team in the French capital in the first week of March

Great Britain's world and European heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis has withdrawn from the European Indoors because of a persistent ankle injury.

Ennis has ended her indoor season because of inflammation to her left ankle, having initially made the squad.

"I've thought long and hard about whether to compete," said Ennis, 25.

"If I'm honest I don't want to risk any further damage to my ankle and calf. I cannot take this risk - the World Championships has to be my priority."

An MRI scan - her third since the injury occurred in mid-February and caused her to pull out of the Grand Prix in Birmingham - has shown improvement over the past two weeks, but not enough to risk participating in Friday's pentathlon.

"As it is, the inflammation and fluid build-up is reducing and I could potentially get through the pentathlon with medication," she said.

"But there is no guarantee that it will not worsen as a result and then mess up the start of my outdoor season. I would like to wish the rest of the team a really successful championships."

Ennis was the favourite to add the European indoor crown to the world title she won in Doha in March last year.

But the World Championships in South Korea later this year are her priority, not to mention the 2012 Olympics in London.

Ennis missed the 2008 Games in Beijing with a triple stress fracture in her right foot.

GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM

MEN

60m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Dwain Chambers, Joel Fearon

400m: Richard Buck, Nigel Levine, Richard Strachan

800m: Andrew Osagie, Joe Thomas

1500m: Nick McCormick, Colin McCourt

3,000m: Andy Baddeley, Mo Farah

60m hurdles: Lawrence Clarke

High Jump: Robbie Grabarz, Tom Parsons