England manager Thomas Tuchel has dropped Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, Manchester City attacker Phil Foden and Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo from his 25-man squad for the November UEFA Nations League fixtures, handing first senior call-ups to Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham and Fulham’s Josh King.
The squad, announced on Friday, November 6, also includes the return of Arsenal defender Ben White and Inter Milan full-back Djed Spence as England prepare to face Croatia and Spain in their final two group-stage matches.
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Palmer’s omission is among the biggest talking points following his absence from England’s last international camp in September and October.
The Chelsea midfielder withdrew from that squad because of a minor fitness issue, having already missed the 2026 World Cup after an injury-disrupted season.
Tuchel had previously expressed frustration over Palmer’s repeated absences, saying the forward was missing too many opportunities to impress him while on international duty.
“It’s hard to argue against what you’re saying. I can only judge him on what he is delivering for the national team and he’s just missing too many opportunities,” the England manager said during the previous international break.
Foden, meanwhile, remains outside Tuchel’s plans after missing the World Cup and the subsequent autumn squad.
Mainoo has also been left out after withdrawing from the previous camp with an unspecified injury. The Manchester United midfielder did not feature during England’s World Cup campaign despite being selected.
In contrast, Jobe Bellingham and King have been rewarded for their progress at club and youth international levels.
Jobe, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, will now have the opportunity to join his older brother Jude in the senior England set-up.
King, 19, has also earned recognition after establishing himself at Fulham. Both players have previously represented England at youth level but are yet to make their senior international debuts.
White and Spence are among the returning players, while Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold retains his place.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and several other established names also feature in the squad.
England’s selection comes as the team seek to secure their position in the Nations League group. They have collected nine points from their opening four matches, with three victories and one defeat, leaving them second behind Spain.
The Three Lions will host Croatia at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, November 12, before travelling to face Spain on Sunday, November 15.
Both matches are scheduled to kick off at 7.45pm.
Tuchel will hope his latest selection can deliver strong performances against two major European opponents and strengthen England’s position ahead of the next stage of the competition.
England squad in full
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion), James Trafford (Leeds United).
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Marc Guehi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Jarrell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Inter Milan), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Ben White (Arsenal).
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), James Garner (Everton), Josh King (Fulham), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Declan Rice (Arsenal).
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Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea).
