Athletics: Freya Murray toiling for Edinburgh cross country

Edinburgh's Freya Murray is fighting to be fit in time for the Great Edinburgh Cross in Holyrood Park on January 8.

Murray will miss the European Cross country Championships in Albufeira, Portugal on Sunday, having been forced out of the UK Trials in Liverpool last month due to a foot injury.

Though offered a pre-selected place in the GB team, the 28-year-old declined as she did not feel she could be fit in time and confessed her body probably needed a rest after a long and exceptionally tiring season.

Murray competed in both 10,000 and 5000 metres in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and, on her return, ran in the Great South Run 10 miles, recording the second-fastest time ever by a Scot for the distance.

But, in doing so, she may have incurred the tendonitis which has currently sidelined her.

Fellow Scot Steph Twell, however, is set to compete in both events, the Commonwealth 1500 metres bronze medallist being tipped to push GB team-mate and current senior champion Hayley Yelling-Higham all the way in Portugal.