Five out, two in: England squad hit by Nations League withdrawals

England have lost five players from their Nations League squad, with Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Tino Livramento, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo all withdrawing. Thomas Tuchel has responded by calling up two replacements, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton’s James Garner. The news lands less than a week before England open their campaign against Spain at Wembley.

Palmer’s exit will sting most because his return had felt like a fresh start. The Chelsea playmaker was given a high-profile recall by Tuchel on Friday after contributing four goals and two assists in seven appearances across all competitions this season, a run that has made him a virtual ever-present for his club. He had been left out of the squad for the 2026 World Cup after his form ebbed last season, when injury limited him to 34 games in total, including 24 Premier League starts, as Chelsea finished 10th and failed to qualify for Europe. Tuchel preferred Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze as his No 10s, and kept all three this time. Palmer has made only three England appearances under Tuchel, his case frequently undermined by injury. He is now expected to miss out again with a minor muscle injury, with The Athletic reporting that the decision comes down to load management.

Rice’s absence is less dramatic but just as awkward. The Arsenal midfielder has been dealing with a long-term hamstring issue and will instead take a rest period during the international break. Livramento, meanwhile, has suffered nine separate injuries since arriving at Newcastle United in 2023, and another problem has forced him out. He pulled out of the World Cup squad with a calf injury and only returned for his club as a substitute against Bournemouth at the start of this month. A set-back in training before Newcastle’s win over Hull on Saturday kept him out of the match-day squad, and he is yet to start a game this season.

The two Manchester United withdrawals came from the same bruising afternoon. Rashford and Mainoo both picked up injuries during their side’s 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday, with Rashford taken off late in the game. Michael Carrick said the forward came off “as he had a bit of an issue”, while the Guardian noted that Rashford held the area by the front of his hip and groin as he walked off slowly after his substitution. He has been nursing a hip problem carried since the World Cup, and there is a doubt over whether he will be able to be involved against Spain. Mainoo was substituted in the 80th minute, three minutes after Rashford, and an unspecified injury means he will also be absent from England’s latest training camp.

Mainoo’s story adds a sour note to the whole week. He did not play a single minute at the World Cup, the only outfield player in the squad not to get on the pitch, yet he has been in strong form for Manchester United at the start of this season. Tuchel said last Friday that the omission was entirely on him and no slight on the midfielder’s ability or levels of application, and he promised Mainoo minutes in at least one of the upcoming games. “I expect him to be on the pitch and it’s my duty to get him on the pitch,” Tuchel said when he named his squad. “That was totally on me. He didn’t put a foot wrong during the World Cup.” He was equally blunt about the competition that kept Mainoo waiting. “We trusted them more than we trusted Kobbie. It was difficult for him. It was on me.” Of the injury that ended Mainoo’s tournament early, he added, “He got injured before the France game so we couldn’t even give him minutes there, which hurt me. Maybe he was more hurt than me but it was my responsibility and it’s my responsibility to reward him for that.”

Rashford’s relationship with Tuchel has been one of the more closely watched threads of this reign. The manager called him up when he named his first squad in March of last year, at a time when the player was struggling for form, and he has always included him when he has been available. Tuchel seemed to lose a little faith after Rashford played poorly against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 32 of the World Cup this summer, barely using him until England’s semi-final exit against Argentina, when he gave him a couple of minutes as a stoppage-time substitute. He did play him for the first 45 minutes of the third place playoff against France.

The fixture list does not offer much room for sympathy. England begin their Nations League campaign against Spain, the world champions, at Wembley on Saturday. They then travel to the Czech Republic three days later, with Croatia away to follow on October 3 and the Czech Republic again on October 6. November brings a home meeting with Croatia and a trip to Spain. Tuchel’s squad was named as a 27-man group for four fixtures squeezed into a two-week period.

There are options, even if none of them are like for like. Gibbs-White and Garner have been drafted in, while Adam Wharton, Jordan Henderson, Noni Madueke and 16-year-old Max Dowman have all been mentioned as possible answers. Phil Foden would be the natural creative replacement for Palmer, though his form at Manchester City remains a concern and a return this month looks unlikely. The opening night against Spain now carries a different shape from the one Tuchel pictured when he named his squad. Five withdrawals before a ball has been kicked is a lot for any England squad to absorb.