Ahead of the UEFA Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland, England’s interim head coach Lee Carsley has been dealt a significant blow. In the span of four days, eight Premier League players, including Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice, withdrew from the squad due to injuries.

Carsley, who is leading the team while former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel prepares to take over in 2025, initially named a strong squad on November 7. However, the roster saw dramatic changes as multiple stars pulled out, leaving England’s chances of securing promotion to League A in jeopardy.

The official England website confirmed the withdrawals: “Trent Alexander-Arnold, Levi Colwill, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Cole Palmer, Aaron Ramsdale, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are all unavailable.” This exodus removes seven players from Premier League top-four sides, significantly lowering the squad’s depth and quality.

To compensate, Carsley called up five replacements: Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who earns his first senior call-up, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, and Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford.

“A 23-man squad will now prepare for Thursday’s trip to Greece and Sunday’s match against Republic of Ireland at Wembley,” concluded the FA’s statement on Sunday.

Carsley calling up several injured players

The withdrawals have raised eyebrows, especially as Carsley’s initial roster included players already struggling with injuries. Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s head coach, previously questioned Grealish’s inclusion, noting that the winger had only trained once in 70 days due to injury.

Fans were also puzzled after seeing Chelsea duo Palmer and Colwill featured in a light-hearted video posted by the @England X account, as neither appeared visibly injured. This has fueled speculation about the legitimacy of some players’ absences.

Injury update: Status of withdrawn players

Here’s a breakdown of the injuries affecting England’s squad:

  • Jack Grealish is injured and trained once in the last 70 days.
  • Trent Alexander-Arnold is out for a couple of weeks with hamstring injury in Aston Villa game.
  • Aaron Ramsdale is set to undergo surgery on suspected fractured finger.
  • Bukayo Saka got subbed after a Marc Cucurella tackle. His injury status hasn’t transcended yet.
  • Declan Rice reportedly has a fractured toe, and barely managed to complete the game against Chelsea.
  • Cole Palmer trained only once with Chelsea after a fierce challenge in Manchester United game with Lisandro Martinez.
  • Phil Foden played 90′ last game against Brighton. Details about his injury haven’t transcended.
  • Levi Colwill played 90′ last game against Arsenal. Details about his injury haven’t transcended.