Palmer, Rashford and Rice Absent from the England National Team for the UEFA Nations League, Here Are Their Replacements

The England national team will enter this international break facing several key absences. Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice have all been ruled out of Thomas Tuchel's squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures due to fitness concerns.

According to a Monday report from The Athletic, all three players withdrew from the squad following a heavy run of matches with their respective clubs. England have subsequently called up Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner as replacements to bolster the squad.

Losing these three players represents a major blow for Tuchel. Palmer and Rice have been central figures for their club sides this season, while Rashford has been managing ongoing physical issues dating back to the World Cup.

Palmer Ordered To Rest

Palmer is unavailable after being assessed with fatigue and requiring recovery time. The Chelsea forward played the full 90 minutes in the Blues' 0-3 away defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday 19 September, a match which added further mileage to his already heavy early season workload.

Prior to this call up, the 24 year old had been recalled to the England setup after missing out on selection for the 2026 World Cup squad.

So far this campaign, Palmer has registered seven appearances across all competitions, contributing four goals and two assists. However, his physical condition has forced both Chelsea and the national team coaching staff to carefully manage his accumulated match load.

Releasing Palmer from this international break will allow him fully recover and reset ahead of returning to Chelsea's domestic schedule.

Declan Rice Ruled Out With Fitness Concerns

Declan Rice finds himself in a similar situation. The Arsenal midfielder has withdrawn from the England squad for fitness reasons, having built up an extremely high match minute load over recent seasons with the Gunners.

Rice ended the previous campaign as Arsenal's most used player, logging a total of 4,454 minutes on the pitch. He also played a pivotal role as England secured third place at the 2026 World Cup.

For the 2026/2027 season, Rice remains an undisputed starter under Mikel Arteta, having lined up from the first whistle in seven out of Arsenal's eight matches so far this term.

Most recently, Rice played the full match in Arsenal's 0-3 loss against Brighton & Hove Albion.

With the relentless combined fixture schedule for club and country, fitness management is cited as the primary reason Rice will not feature for England during this break.

Marcus Rashford Sidelined With Hip Issue

Unlike Palmer and Rice, Marcus Rashford's absence comes down to a hip injury. This complaint has been monitored and managed by Manchester United medical staff since the World Cup, however Rashford suffered a recurrence of the issue during United's match against Fulham on Sunday 20 September.

He was substituted in the 77th minute of that 1-1 draw. As a result of the injury, Rashford will not be available for Tuchel's Nations League fixtures.

England coaching staff have opted against taking any risk by selecting a player who has not yet fully recovered for the congested international match schedule.

Alongside Rashford, fellow Manchester United player Kobbie Mainoo has also withdrawn from the squad through injury.

The 21 year old midfielder picked up the physical issue after completing 80 minutes in the same Fulham fixture.

Tino Livramento Also Withdraws

England have also been hit with a defensive absence, with Tino Livramento pulling out of the squad. The Newcastle United full back reported discomfort during training.

This issue saw him left out of Newcastle's matchday squad for their 2-1 win over Hull City last weekend.

Tuchel has been forced to adjust his squad plans at short notice as preparations continue for the upcoming Nations League matches.

The German head coach has confirmed the call ups of both Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner as replacements.

Morgan Gibbs-White Handed Recall Opportunity

Gibbs-White has been handed a return to the senior England setup having been omitted from the squad that travelled to the World Cup.

That original exclusion drew considerable public attention, after Gibbs-White enjoyed a prolific campaign with Nottingham Forest the previous season, scoring 15 Premier League goals.

He has continued his good form this term, already netting in Forest's 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

The 26 year old currently has six senior caps for England. His last appearance for the Three Lions came as a substitute in the 3-0 victory over Wales back in October 2025.

He now receives a fresh opportunity with the national side following the loss of several first choice players.

James Garner Receives England Recall

The other player drafted in by Tuchel is James Garner. The Everton midfielder holds two senior England caps, last representing the Three Lions in March 2026 before also missing out on World Cup selection.

Garner's recall forms part of Tuchel's efforts to cover the gaps left by the multiple confirmed absences.

With the addition of Gibbs-White and Garner, England retain sufficient squad depth and rotation options going into this busy fixture period.

Four Matches Await England This Break

England are scheduled to play four matches over the three week international break, all as part of the UEFA Nations League group stage.

First up, England will host 2026 World Cup winners Spain at Wembley Stadium on 27 September.

Three days later on 30 September, the Three Lions will travel to face the Czech Republic at the Fortuna Arena.

Following that fixture, England will head to Croatia for an away match at the HNK Rijeka Stadium on 3 October.

This international break schedule will conclude with a return fixture against the Czech Republic at Wembley on 7 October.