MELKSHAM-BASED world champion Dai Greene has pulled out of this weekend's Sainsbury's Anniversary Games through injury.

It is a worrying development for the world 400 metres hurdles champion, who also had to withdraw from last Friday's Diamond League meeting in Monaco with an inflamed Achilles tendon.

A tweet from his management company Definitive Sports read: "World Champion @DaiGreene will not compete in London after failing to recover from a slight niggle in his leg. Main focus is now the Worlds!"

Greene later added on Twitter: "So disappointed that I'm having to withdraw from the Anniversary Games this weekend. Hopefully it will pay off at the World Champs.''

The World Championships in Moscow are less than three weeks away.

This is the latest setback to befall Greene in a summer which has been plagued by fitness concerns.

His start to the season was delayed because of a double hernia operation in March.

He was hampered by illness in finishing fifth at the Birmingham Diamond League meeting at the end of June, losing to a fellow Briton - Rhys Williams - for the first time in five years.

That performance followed defeat by unknown German Silvio Schirrmeister at the European Team Championships in Gateshead the weekend before.

He had looked to get getting back to his best as he ran and season's best to win the British Championships 11 days ago, but there is now real a risk he will head to Moscow lacking race sharpness.

Jamie Baulch, from Definitive Sport, said Greene had time to recover before the World Championships.

He said: "In order for Dai to compete at the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games he pulled out of Monaco. This gave him the good chance of recovering from a slight niggle in his leg.

"Unfortunately, though, after a week in training a decision has been made between Dai and Malcolm (Arnold, his coach) not to compete in London.

"Dai now has three weeks' recovery time. This will hopefully be the time that Dai needs to ensure that he is on the plane to Moscow to defend his World title."

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