Five players have withdrawn from the England squad ahead of the forthcoming Nations League fixtures, with Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento all unavailable to Thomas Tuchel.
The withdrawals come during a busy period of the season and will force the England manager to make changes to his plans before the Three Lions begin their latest international schedule. Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton’s James Garner have been called up as replacements and are expected to join the squad on Tuesday.
Palmer’s withdrawal is particularly notable after the Chelsea forward was recalled by Tuchel following his controversial omission from England’s World Cup squad. The 24-year-old has now pulled out with a minor injury after playing the full 90 minutes in Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat by Brentford on Friday.
England squad hit by five withdrawals
Palmer is joined on the withdrawal list by Rice, Rashford, Mainoo and Livramento, with the five players all having featured prominently for their clubs this season.
The England medical department and the medical teams at the respective clubs agreed that the players could withdraw from international duty. However, no specific details about the nature of the injuries have been released publicly.
Rice played the full 90 minutes for Arsenal in their 3-0 defeat by Brighton before being ruled unavailable for Tuchel’s squad. The midfielder has already featured heavily this season, playing 549 of the 630 possible minutes for Arsenal.
His workload has been particularly significant over the past year. Rice made 69 appearances for Arsenal and England last season while carrying a hamstring problem that also affected him during the World Cup.
Palmer, meanwhile, has started six of Chelsea’s seven matches this season and completed the full 90 minutes in five of them. He has contributed four goals and two assists since returning from his summer break.
The Chelsea forward had not represented England since the 1-0 friendly defeat by Japan in March, making his withdrawal another setback after his return to the national team.
Manchester United duo also unavailable
Manchester United will also lose two players from the squad after Rashford and Mainoo were assessed by their club following Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Both players were substituted during the closing stages of the match, and their subsequent assessment resulted in their withdrawal from international duty.
Rashford and Mainoo have each started four of United’s five Premier League matches this season, making their absence another consideration for Tuchel as England prepare for a demanding run of fixtures.
Livramento is the fifth player to withdraw. The Newcastle United full-back has had a more limited role for his club this season, making three substitute appearances in the Premier League.
He did not feature in Newcastle’s opening two league matches before coming on for the final minute against Bournemouth. He subsequently played the second half of the club’s League Cup victory over Millwall and 32 minutes in the defeat by Leeds.
Livramento was then withdrawn late from Newcastle’s squad for their match against Hull after suffering a knee injury.
Gibbs-White and Garner receive England call-ups
Tuchel has responded to the withdrawals by bringing Gibbs-White and Garner into the group.
Gibbs-White had been close to making the original squad, according to Tuchel, and now gets another opportunity to represent England after making his most recent appearance in a 3-0 friendly victory over Wales in October 2025.
The Nottingham Forest midfielder has made a productive start to the current Premier League season, recording one goal and two assists from five league matches.
Garner also returns to the senior setup after missing out on World Cup selection. The Everton midfielder made both of his two senior England appearances in March and will now have another opportunity to work under Tuchel.
Their inclusion gives England additional midfield options at a time when several established players are unavailable.
England prepare for demanding international break
The withdrawals come just before an extended international break that includes four Nations League matches for England.
Tuchel’s side will face World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on 26 September before travelling to the Czech Republic three days later. England then face Croatia on 3 October before hosting the Czech Republic again on 6 October.
The fixture list gives Tuchel limited time to settle his revised squad, particularly with several players withdrawing only after the original group had been announced.
Palmer’s absence will attract particular attention because of the circumstances surrounding his return to international football. Tuchel had previously said the Chelsea forward had a “point to prove” and needed to “step up” to retain his place and justify his selection.
Palmer had responded with an impressive start to the club season, scoring four goals and creating two more in his seven appearances before the latest injury setback.
Rice’s absence also removes one of England’s most heavily used players from the upcoming fixtures, while Rashford and Mainoo’s withdrawals reduce Tuchel’s options following their regular involvement for Manchester United.
The medical teams have agreed that all five players should leave the squad, but the lack of publicly released details means the precise extent and expected recovery time of their injuries remain unclear.
For Tuchel, the focus now turns to integrating Gibbs-White and Garner and preparing for four demanding Nations League fixtures with a reshaped group. England will hope the withdrawals do not develop into longer-term problems for the affected players as the club season continues alongside the international schedule.
