• Heptathlete targets Doha world indoors for return

• World champion's foot needs more time to heal



The world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis has withdrawn from Saturday's Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham due to her foot injury.
Ennis, who also missed the World Indoor Championship trials in her home city of Sheffield last weekend, wants more time for the injury to heal completely. She still plans to compete in the World Indoors in Doha, in three weeks' time.
Ennis, 24, said: "The scans a week ago showed a slight ligament sprain and the advice was to rest the foot and take it day by day.
"New scans of my foot today show it has healed a lot, but with the World Indoors only a few weeks away the advice from the UK Athletics medical team is to give it a little more time to completely heal and focus on the World Indoors."
She added: "I am of course disappointed at missing the opportunity to compete in Birmingham, but know being cautious is the best course of action. I am really happy with the way my foot is healing, training has not stopped and Toni, my coach, will gradually increase the intensity with all the focus on Doha."

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