In his initial games as the temporary manager of England, Lee Carsley will have to make do without the services of Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, and Phil Foden. The team, who were runners-up at Euro 2024, are gearing up for their first matches post-Gareth Southgate era with an away game against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday followed by a home confrontation with Finland after three days.
For the Nations League back-to-back matches, Carsley had initially selected a squad of 26 men. However, the English Football Association confirmed the withdrawal of three players. Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, and Phil Foden will not participate in the impending Uefa Nations League games, according to a statement issued by the FA.
Further elaborating, the FA declared that the England squad arrived at St George’s Park on Tuesday. After an evaluation, both Palmer and Watkins were sent back to their respective clubs to continue treatment for ongoing issues. Foden, on the other hand, missed reporting due to sickness and is officially ruled out for the games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland. No further players are anticipated to be added to the team as of now.