Declan Rice and Cole Palmer are among five players who have pulled out of Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad since the World Cup. Their withdrawals occur before the Nations League fixtures against Spain, the Czech Republic, and Croatia.
Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner have been brought in to cover for some of the unavailable players. Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, and Tino Livramento have also pulled out due to injuries.
Declan Rice and Cole Palmer depart the England squad
Rice, England’s vice-captain, featured in Arsenal’s 3-0 loss to Brighton on Saturday. He made 69 appearances for club and country last season through to the end of the World Cup, so England are taking a careful approach to managing his workload.
Palmer, meanwhile, was recalled by Tuchel last week after being left out of the England squad for the World Cup. The Chelsea midfielder is reportedly dealing with a minor muscle injury, although he completed Friday’s 3-0 defeat against Brentford.
The 24-year-old has played in all five of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this season. His previous campaign was disrupted by injuries, and he recently said during a Twitch stream that he had “one leg for 10 months.”
Rashford also picked up an issue during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday. Manager Michael Carrick confirmed the problem, with the forward substituted while appearing to struggle with his hip.
The England squad adds Gibbs-White and Garner
Mainoo was also substituted late in the draw at Craven Cottage, while Livramento missed Newcastle’s victory over Hull. Both players have therefore withdrawn from Tuchel’s squad for the international matches.
Gibbs-White has received his first England call-up in almost a year. The Nottingham Forest captain has scored more Premier League goals than any other player during this calendar year but was left out of England’s World Cup squad despite his form.
The 26-year-old has six England caps but has yet to start for the national team. His most recent appearance came in October last year, when he came on as a second-half substitute during the 3-0 win over Wales.
Gibbs-White was also omitted from Tuchel’s squad last week, but Palmer’s withdrawal has created an opening in the No. 10 position. Phil Foden was again not selected.
Nations League schedule and updated England squad
Garner previously received his first England call-up in March, with Tuchel praising his versatility. However, he missed the World Cup after Mainoo produced a strong finish to the season.
England are scheduled to play four matches during the expanded three-week international break. The campaign begins against World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday 26 September, followed by away matches against the Czech Republic and Croatia.
The Nations League schedule concludes with another match against the Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday 6 October.