Three players pull out of England squad in bitter blow for Lee Carsley

Three players have withdrawn from the England squad ahead of the upcoming fixtures in the UEFA Nations League.

Last week, former England U21s boss Lee Carsley selected his first squad since replacing Gareth Southgate as the Three Lions’ interim manager.

The 50-year-old made some huge calls as he left out the likes of Marcus Rashford, Kyle Walker, James Maddison and Adam Wharton.

In turn, he selected the likes of Angel Gomes, Noni Madueke and Morgan Gibbs-White.

However, ahead of Nations League clashes against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, three players have been forced to pull out.

On Tuesday evening, a statement from the English Football Association read: “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 Republic of Ireland and Finland. No further additions are planned at this moment in time.”

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Ahead of the his first matches in charge of England, Carsley said: “It's a real proud moment for my family and myself. It's been a hectic couple of weeks trying to get my head round the magnitude of the job and getting to as many games as I can. Generally with short-term jobs you go in when things aren't going well but this is the opposite.

“The expectation is very exciting and I'm really privileged. I'm looking forward to meeting up with the players. I want to put my own stamp on it but we also need to recognise what we’ve done in the past. I'm really motivated and can't wait for the game in Dublin. It'll be a great occasion.”