Why Each of the 9 Players Withdrew From England’s Squad After Harry Kane’s rant

Three Lions captain Harry Kane has expressed frustration over the number of players withdrawing from the latest England squad, saying: “It’s a tough period of the season, maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit. I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think England comes before anything, any club situation.”

A total of nine players have pulled out ahead of Lee Carsley’s final two matches as interim manager against Greece and the Republic of Ireland, with Thomas Tuchel set to take over in January. Typically, injuries are the main reason players miss international camps, but this season has highlighted a growing issue of club-versus-country conflicts.

Many players are now using the one-week breaks to rest and recover, preparing for other major competitions like the Premier League and Champions League. With the football calendar becoming increasingly packed, one potential solution is to reduce the number of international fixtures, which some are taking upon themselves to make happen.

Anthony Gordon is one player who overcame ongoing injury concerns to join the squad, with the Newcastle United winger acknowledging that he faces a race against time to be fit for the upcoming matches. However, with growing questions being raised about players who opted to stay with their clubs for the upcoming Nations League fixtures, further clarification is now required.

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Why England Players Have Withdrawn

Only two players don’t have a reason

Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off in the first half of their 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday, adding to the list of injury concerns after it was reported he would be out with a hamstring injury for the next 2-3 weeks, with doubts raised over his ability to feature in crunch ties against Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was doubtful ahead of their 1-1 draw with Chelsea due to a knock and a broken toe. Though he started, Rice had to be subbed off in the 71st minute. His teammate Bukayo Saka, who picked up an injury during England’s last international break and missed two Arsenal games, also started but limped off late in the match, though no injuries have been confirmed yet.

Despite concerns before kickoff, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer managed to play the full 90 minutes against Arsenal. There are new worries, however, as Blues’ fans highlighted the in-form attacking midfielder looked far from his best in the stalemate. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who reportedly fractured his finger during Southampton’s 2-0 loss to Wolves, had to pull out, although he has ambitions to dethrone Jordan Pickford as number one.

Jack Grealish, named in England’s squad despite missing Manchester City’s last seven games, has drawn particular attention. Pep Guardiola lamented the call-up, revealing that Grealish, after experiencing two or three injury setbacks already this season, was still keen to join the national team. However, it now looks like his club has influenced him.

Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, who was nursing a slight knock from his recent game against West Ham, has also returned to his club, having only just recently been given the green light to play again following two groin injuries. Meanwhile, Chelsea defender Levi Colwill and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden both played full matches at the weekend, though their reasons for withdrawing from England duty remain unknown.