England star trio pull OUT of Lee Carsley’s first squad for games against Ireland and Finland with lingering injury issues
- Three of England’s stars have withdrawn from Lee Carley’s latest squad
- The trio have all returned to their respective clubs to nurse injuries
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Lee Carsley lost three key players from his first-team squad as England’s caretaker manager on Tuesday night, with Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Phil Foden withdrawing from training camp ahead of this month’s Nations League matches.
Chelsea’s Palmer, who scored England’s only goal in the Euro 2024 final, and Aston Villa’s Watkins, who scored the winning goal in the semi-final, have returned to their clubs to continue their rehabilitation from ongoing problems after being assessed by Three Lions staff at St George’s Park.
Manchester City’s Foden did not feature for Tuesday’s match due to illness and has also withdrawn, having played just 45 minutes for his club this season, on the opening day when he came on as a half-time substitute in City’s 2-0 win over Chelsea.
England announced on Tuesday evening that no further players will be added to their squad for the time being in preparation for their Nations League matches against Ireland next Saturday and Finland next Tuesday.
The issues affecting Palmer and Watkins have not been specified, as they have both played all three of their clubs’ Premier League games this season. Palmer previously complained of a hamstring problem following Chelsea’s home win over Servette in the Conference League, but head coach Enzo Maresca insisted it was not serious and he has played three times since.
Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins have left the England squad and returned to their respective clubs to receive treatment for ongoing problems
The England training camp reported for training on Tuesday, with the Three Lions meeting new interim manager Carsley for the first time
Phil Foden (left) is battling illness, while Cole Palmer (right) returns to Chelsea with an injury
Meanwhile, Adam Wharton has also withdrawn from England Under-21s due to ongoing fitness issues. Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner warned the Football Association that Wharton’s ‘body issues’ made international duty look unwise.
The 20-year-old was a surprise omission from Carsley’s first-team England squad, but was called up to the Under-21s by interim manager Ben Futcher. Despite starting all three Premier League games, Glasner claimed Wharton – who was believed to be nursing a groin injury – has not trained properly with Palace so far this season.
Wharton made just one appearance for the Under-21s, in a friendly in March, and was quickly promoted to the senior squad in preparation for Euro 2024.
Carsley wanted the central midfielder to gain more international experience with the Young Lions ahead of their two matches this month – a European Championship qualifier in Northern Ireland on Friday night and a friendly against Austria three days later.