Interim England manager Lee Carsley is facing a major selection headache ahead of the upcoming international fixtures against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
The Three Lions need to win both games ahead of them if they are to stand any chance of getting promoted to the Nations League League A, having been relegated to League B prior to Euro 2024.
Carsley's side were defeated by Greece in a shock result at Wembley earlier in the season putting them firmly on the back foot in the race for promotion.
England hit with major injury blow
Carsley has gained plenty of plaudits for his adventurous squad selections, handing international debuts to the likes of Angel Gomes, Noni Madueke and Morgan Gibbs-White, all of which featured heavily under the manager at youth level.
The former Everton midfielder has guided England to three wins and a defeat including a 2-0 away win over rivals Ireland and will be looking to complete the double over them at Wembley next.
However, Carsley will have to do so without a wealth of key names, after eight members of his 23-man squad withdrew through injury prior to heading out to Greece.
but Trent Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Aaron Ramsdale have all dropped out due to injury forcing a rapid turnaround to replace over a third of the squad in a short period of time.
Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers is one of the most exciting inclusions to be selected as a replacement having been rewarded for an electric start to the season at Aston Villa.
Jarrad Branthwaite, Jarrod Bowen, James Trafford and Tino Livramento have also been drafted into the squad on short notice.
The omission of Cole Palmer, ranked at no.18 in FourFourTwo's list of the best players in the world right now, is a particular blow. The 22-year-old limped out of Stamford Bridge following his team's 1-1 draw with Arsenal. He has scored seven league goals in 11 games, and registered five assists, so his contribution to England's Nations League push will be missed.
This will be the final round of international fixtures before Thomas Tuchel takes over in the new year with players likely to be eager to make an early impression on the incoming boss.
The Champions League-winning coach will be tasked with ending the country's 60-year trophy drought ahead of the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
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