England Trio Withdraws From International Duty

Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, and Phil Foden have been ruled out of Lee Carsley’s first matches as interim England manager.

The Euro 2024 runners-up will travel to the Republic of Ireland this Saturday, followed by a home match against Finland at Wembley three days later, marking the start of their journey without Gareth Southgate.

Carsley has been appointed temporarily and named a 26‑man squad for the Nations League double‑header this month, but three players have had to pull out of his England selection.

In a statement, the Football Association said: “Cole Palmer, Ollie ­Watkins and Phil Foden will play no part in England’s forthcoming Uefa Nations League fixtures.

“The Three Lions squad reported to St George’s Park on Tuesday, but following assessment, both Palmer and Watkins returned to their clubs to continue rehabilitation for ongoing issues. Foden did not report through illness and is ruled out of the matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland. No further additions are planned at this moment in time.”

England’s visit to the Aviva Stadium occurs just 55 days after Gareth Southgate faced a narrow loss in his second consecutive European Championship final.

Following the 2-1 defeat to Spain in Berlin, Southgate decided to end his eight-year tenure as manager. The FA has appointed Carsley, the England Under-21s coach, to take over while they search for a permanent.

The 50-year-old, who represented the Republic of Ireland as a player, has been appointed to oversee all six Nations League matches this autumn.

In his impressive debut selection, Carsley awarded first senior call-ups to Noni Madueke, Morgan Gibbs-White, Tino Livramento, and Angel Gomes.

Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish are back following their absence from Euro 2024, while Jude Bellingham and Luke Shaw are sidelined due to injuries.