Foden, Palmer, and Watkins Withdraw from England Squad Due to Health Issues

Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Ollie Watkins have withdrawn from England’s squad ahead of their upcoming Nations League fixtures. Manchester City’s Foden, recently named PFA Player of the Year, was unable to join the team due to illness. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Palmer and Aston Villa’s Watkins reported to the squad’s training base at St George’s Park but were sent back to their clubs to continue their recovery from ongoing issues.

England, under interim manager Lee Carsley, are set to face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on September 7th and then host Finland at Wembley three days later. These will be the team’s first matches since their loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

Following Gareth Southgate’s resignation, Carsley took over as interim manager on August 9th and has since made several new additions to the squad. Angel Gomes, Tino Livramento, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Noni Madueke have been called up, all of whom played under Carsley during his time as the England Under-21 manager. Additionally, Manchester City star Jack Grealish and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire have been recalled to the squad.