Cole Palmer has withdrawn from England’s Nations League squad with a minor muscle injury, despite completing Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford. Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has been called up as his replacement, while Everton’s James Garner also joins the squad after a wave of withdrawals.

Palmer had only just returned to Thomas Tuchel’s plans after missing England’s 2026 World Cup squad. He was due to feature in the Nations League matches against Spain, Czechia and Croatia, but the injury will instead be managed by Chelsea during the international break. Reports describe the issue as minor rather than serious, with load management also a factor in the decision.

The Chelsea forward is one of five players to pull out. Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Tino Livramento have also withdrawn because of injury concerns, significantly reducing Tuchel’s options before the four-match window. Gibbs-White and Garner are the two replacements confirmed so far.

The withdrawals have renewed debate over club-versus-country priorities, particularly because Palmer and Rice both featured for their clubs shortly before pulling out. Tuchel has previously said that players with manageable issues can have their workloads controlled in camp, but the scale of the absences leaves England needing to adapt quickly before facing world champions Spain at Wembley on 26 September.