An unprecedented total of nine players have withdrawn from the England squad ahead of games against Greece and the Republic of Ireland, with Three Lions skipper Harry Kane left fuming
There are nine England players under fresh scrutiny after captain Harry Kane blasted stars withdrawing from the Three Lions squad.
An unprecedented total of nine players have dropped out of Lee Carsley’s squad to face Greece and the Republic of Ireland over the next week, with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite becoming the latest to leave the camp. Carsley has been able to replace them but it is a serious blow to England’s hopes of topping their Nations League group.
The Three Lions currently sit second after losing to Greece during the October break. They can still seal automatic promotion to League A if they win both games this month, while second place in their group would see them enter a promotion/relegation play-off.
That play-off would come under the management of Thomas Tuchel, who starts work in January. But the German is already facing a divided dressing room, with Kane having taken aim at nine of his team-mates.
“I think England comes before anything. It comes before club and it is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer. Gareth was on hot on that and he wasn’t afraid and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions if that started to drift from certain players,” he told ITV.
“It’s a shame this week obviously. Yeah, I think it’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit. I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think as I just said there England comes before before anything, any club situation.
“The joy to play for England. I think Gareth brought that back. Every camp, people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and, yeah, that’s the most important thing.”
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The nine players in question are Manchester City duo Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, Everton’s Branthwaite, Liverpool full back Trent Alexander-Arnold, Chelsea stars Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer, Southampton keeper Aaron Ramsdale and Arsenal pair Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
Gunners stars Rice and Saka both asked to be substituted in the weekend draw with Chelsea. Alexander-Arnold meanwhile was forced off in the first-half of the Reds win over Aston Villa on Saturday.
Ramsdale has undergone surgery on a fractured finger, while Grealish was left out of the squad for City’s trip to Brighton having barely trained. No reason has been given for Foden’s withdrawal and he played all 90 minutes in the defeat to Brighton.
Chelsea also gave no reason for Palmer and Colwill’s withdrawal, with both having played all 90 minutes against Arsenal. England cited an ‘injury from the weekend’ as the reason why Branthwaite has been forced to pull out.
Jarrel Quansah, Morgan Rogers, Jarrod Bowen, Tino Livramento and James Trafford have all been called up as replacements. West Ham captain Bowen was part of England’s Euro 2024 squad, but while Villa star Rogers has earned a senior call-up for the first time.
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