Declan Rice Among Five England Stars to Withdraw from Squad
Several key players, including Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford, have pulled out of the England squad due to injury or management concerns, leading to the call-up of two new players.
Declan Rice has joined a group of five prominent players who have withdrawn from the England squad, days after manager Thomas Tuchel emphasized the need for players to 'step up' and demonstrate their value following the World Cup.
Alongside Rice, Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, and Tino Livramento have all made themselves unavailable for selection. Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton's James Garner are the only replacements called into the squad.
Arsenal midfielder Rice, who played the full match in his club's recent defeat, has been declared unavailable for England, though Arsenal has not provided specific details regarding his condition. Chelsea sources indicate that Palmer is dealing with a muscular injury, while Manchester United manager Michael Carrick stated that Rashford has an 'issue' following their recent draw. Mainoo also underwent an assessment for an injury.
Livramento withdrew from the World Cup squad due to a calf injury and has yet to start a game this season for Newcastle United. England is scheduled to face Spain in their upcoming international fixtures, followed by matches against Czechia and Croatia.
Tuchel had previously challenged Palmer, who was not selected for the World Cup, to 'prove his worth' and 'step up' to maintain his place in the squad. The manager noted Palmer's return to form, with notable assists and decisive goals.
Gibbs-White, initially omitted, is returning from a holiday in Dubai to join the squad. Garner has been selected over Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton. Tuchel had previously cited an overabundance of attacking midfielders as the reason for Gibbs-White's initial exclusion, stating that it would not benefit anyone to nominate too many players in the same position.
Rashford has been managing a hip issue since the World Cup and, despite starting Manchester United's recent match, requires further management. Mainoo is also reportedly dealing with an unspecified issue; he was part of the World Cup squad but did not feature in any matches.