Palmer, Rice Among Five Withdrawals From England Squad

Cole Palmer and Declan Rice are among five players who have withdrawn from England's squad for upcoming Nations League matches. Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton's James Garner have been called into the squad by manager Thomas Tuchel and will join on Tuesday. Tuchel revealed on Friday that Gibbs-White, who has six caps, was nearly included in the initial squad.

Palmer, 24, was recalled by Tuchel after being initially left out of England's World Cup squad due to a minor injury. Tuchel previously stated that Palmer needed to "step up" and prove himself to retain his place in the team. The Three Lions face Spain at Wembley on September 26, then travel to the Czech Republic (September 29) and Croatia (October 3) before hosting the Czechs on October 6 in an extended international break.

Manchester United players Rashford and Mainoo were assessed by their club after being substituted during Sunday's 1-1 draw at Fulham. Rice, who played the full match for Arsenal in their 3-0 defeat by Brighton, will also be absent, along with Livramento, who has only made three substitute appearances for Newcastle United this season.

The medical departments of England and the respective clubs have agreed to the five players' withdrawals, with no specific injury details disclosed to the media. Palmer's withdrawal follows his full performance for Chelsea in their 3-0 loss to Brentford on Friday. Gibbs-White last played for England in a 3-0 friendly win against Wales in October 2025, scoring one goal and providing two assists in his five league games this season for Forest.

James Garner, like Gibbs-White, only secured his two senior England appearances in March and will join the squad after missing the 2026 World Cup. Declan Rice played 69 games for Arsenal and England last season, despite carrying a hamstring injury that impacted his performance at the World Cup. However, he contributed to 549 minutes of Arsenal's 630 possible minutes this term.