Rice, Palmer, Rashford among five England stars ruled out vs Spain

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England have been hit by five withdrawals ahead of their opening UEFA Nations League fixture against Spain at Wembley on Saturday.

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Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento have all withdrawn from Thomas Tuchel’s squad because of respective injury issues, the Football Association confirmed.

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PUNCH Online on Wednesday reported that the confirmation was also noted on the English FA website late Monday.

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The quintet were initially named in Tuchel’s 27-man squad for the extended international window, but their withdrawals have forced the England manager to make changes before the Three Lions begin their campaign.

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Here are the five players who will miss the upcoming fixtures:

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1. Declan Rice

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Arsenal midfielder Rice is one of the most experienced players affected by the withdrawals.

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The 27-year-old was part of England’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and was included in Tuchel’s latest selection for the Nations League campaign.

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His absence leaves England without one of their key midfield options for the opening fixtures.

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2. Cole Palmer

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Chelsea forward Palmer was also ruled out after returning to the England squad for the first time since the World Cup.

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Tuchel had spoken positively about Palmer’s importance to the team before the latest injury setback.

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The England manager said Palmer would need to “step up” when he returned and produce the performances required to retain his place.

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3. Marcus Rashford

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Rashford, who joined Barcelona on loan from Manchester United, is another major absentee.

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The forward was part of England’s World Cup squad and had been selected by Tuchel for the new Nations League campaign before withdrawing through injury.

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4. Kobbie Mainoo

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Manchester United midfielder Mainoo has also pulled out.

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Tuchel had specifically praised the 21-year-old after the World Cup, saying: “I expect him to be on the pitch and it’s my duty to get him on the pitch.”

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The German added: “He didn’t put a foot wrong during the World Cup.”

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Mainoo was unable to feature in England’s World Cup campaign as much as Tuchel had hoped after an injury before the France match.

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5. Tino Livramento

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Newcastle United defender Livramento completes the five-man list.

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He was part of England’s initial squad for the Nations League window but has since been ruled out with an injury.

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Livramento also missed part of England’s World Cup campaign after suffering a calf injury in training before being replaced by Trevoh Chalobah.

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Two replacements called up

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Tuchel has responded to the withdrawals by calling up Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and Everton midfielder James Garner.

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The pair were due to report to St George’s Park on Tuesday with the rest of the squad. Garner has two senior caps, while Gibbs-White has six.

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England will host Spain at Wembley on Saturday, September 26, in their first match of the 2026-27 Nations League campaign.

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The Three Lions will then face Czechia twice, either side of a trip to Croatia, during the extended international window.

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