London’s next international week has begun with a reshaped England squad. Thomas Tuchel will be without five injured players when the Nations League campaign opens at Wembley on Saturday against Spain, the reigning world champions.
Right-back Tino Livramento, midfielders Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice, and forwards Marcus Rashford and Cole Palmer have all been withdrawn from the original selection. Rice, Arsenal’s vice-captain, is the most senior absence in midfield, while Chelsea attacker Palmer was not part of England’s World Cup squad earlier this year.
Tuchel has added Everton midfielder James Garner and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White to his group. Both players are due to report for international duty on Tuesday, offering England extra options before a demanding run across the opening Nations League dates.
A Wembley start before a Central European stretch
Spain’s visit to Wembley is England’s first match of the 2026/27 Nations League. It brings together two sides accustomed to carrying the weight of major tournament expectation, with England beginning the new cycle on home ground against the current World Cup holders.
After Saturday, England travel into a sequence that will take them through further European opposition. The Czech Republic are scheduled to face Tuchel’s side on 29 September, followed by Croatia on 3 October, before a second meeting with the Czechs on 6 October.
For England, the autumn programme now begins with a smaller injury-hit group and two fresh arrivals from the domestic game, as Wembley prepares for Spain’s visit.
