Thomas Tuchel Axes England Player From Squad Hours Before Andorra Game

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has axed one player from his matchday squad to face Andorra just hours before the game on Saturday evening.

England will take on Andorra at Villa Park in a qualifier for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Three Lions are currently top of their qualification group – which also features Albania, Serbia and Latvia – having taken three wins from three since the start of the qualifying campaign.

England narrowly beat Andorra 1-0 in their last competitive match back in June and Tuchel will no doubt be hoping for a much more convincing victory against the minnows this time round.

Tuchel initially named a 24-man squad for the upcoming qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, who England will face on Tuesday.

Manchester City defender John Stones and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton were both included but later pulled out through injury, with Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jarell Quansah and AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek called up as replacements.

England face Andorra on Saturday (Image: Getty)

However, Tuchel is only able to name a 23-man matchday squad, meaning one player must miss out for this weekend's World Cup qualifier at the home of Aston Villa.

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has now confirmed that Quansah, who recently joined the Bundesliga club from Liverpool, has been dropped from the squad for the Andorra clash.

England U21 international Quansah is yet to make his senior debut despite several call-ups to the Three Lions.

He was named as a provisional member of an expanded 33-member England squad for Euro 2024, but failed to make the final 26-man squad named by Tuchel's predecessor Gareth Southgate.

Quansah was included in Tuchel's first England squad, for their World Cup qualifying matches against Albania and Latvia last year. However, he failed to play a single minute.

Quansah has been dropped from the squad (Image: Getty)

Earlier this summer, he played a crucial role in England's triumph at the U21 Euros in Slovakia - playing every minute of the tournament as the Young Lions were crowned champions with victory over Germany in the final.

He will have to bide his time when it comes to the senior side but could make his debut when England face Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday.

England squad to face Andorra

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan)

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United) Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)