Declan Rice Among Five England Stars to Withdraw from Squad
A notable group of players, including Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford, have pulled out of England duty, with manager Thomas Tuchel facing calls to explain the situation.
Declan Rice has been identified as the latest high-profile player to withdraw from the England squad, bringing the total to five. The withdrawals come shortly after manager Thomas Tuchel issued a stern warning to his players about the necessity to 'step up' and prove their worth following the World Cup.
Joining Rice in pulling out are Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, Cole Palmer, and Tino Livramento. Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton's James Garner have been called up as replacements. Garner was selected over Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton.
Arsenal midfielder Rice played the entirety of his team's recent match against Brighton but has since been declared unavailable for England. Arsenal has not provided further details regarding his injury. Chelsea indicated that Palmer is dealing with a muscular injury, while Manchester United manager Michael Carrick stated that Rashford has an 'issue' following his team's draw with Fulham. Mainoo was also assessed for an injury.
Livramento had previously withdrawn from the World Cup squad due to a calf injury. He has not played for Newcastle United this past weekend and has yet to start a game this season.
England is scheduled to play against the 2026 World Cup winners Spain, followed by two matches against Czechia and another against Croatia. Tuchel is expected to address the situation and his players' withdrawals in a press conference later this week.
Tuchel had previously commented on Palmer's situation, suggesting he had a 'point to prove' and needed to 'step up' to secure his place in the squad. He noted that while Palmer has had consistent starts, his goal and assist numbers have improved, justifying his inclusion.
Gibbs-White, who had been on holiday after playing for Nottingham Forest, is returning to join the squad. Tuchel had initially cited having too many attacking midfielders as the reason for Gibbs-White's initial omission, stating it is unproductive to nominate too many players for the same role.
Rashford has been managing a hip issue since the World Cup and, despite starting Manchester United's recent draw with Fulham, the injury requires ongoing management. Mainoo is also reportedly dealing with an undisclosed issue. He was part of the World Cup squad but did not feature in any matches.
