Eight England players, including Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, have been forced to withdraw from the team due to injuries ahead of the UEFA Nations League matches.
Ahead of England’s encounters with Greece on Thursday and the Republic of Ireland on Sunday, several key players will be missing from the squad.
Levi Colwill, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Aaron Ramsdale, and Declan Rice will all miss the upcoming fixtures, along with Saka and Palmer.
In their place, Morgan Rogers, Jarrod Bowen, Jarrad Branthwaite, Tino Livramento, and James Trafford have been called up to join the team.
Meanwhile, former England manager Glenn Hoddle has shed light on the factors that may have contributed to Cole Palmer’s lackluster performance in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal last weekend.
In his post-match analysis, Hoddle pointed out that Palmer struggled to make an impact due to Chelsea’s tactical approach, which he believes hindered the player’s ability to influence the game.
During his appearance on Stadium Astro, Hoddle explained that the decision to play Malo Gusto in a midfield position, rather than deploying Palmer in a more central role, constrained his effectiveness on the pitch.
“Gusto’s positioning in that inside left channel really tied Palmer down,” Hoddle said. “In my opinion, there are specific moments in a match when you need to allow a player like Palmer to roam freely, to play across the arc, and to take on the responsibilities of a number 10.”
Hoddle continued, “Unfortunately, Palmer didn’t get the opportunity to play in that role. Instead, he was often positioned as an inside forward, with Neto primarily on the outside of him. It wasn’t until the second half, when Neto moved over to the right side, that I had hope for a better connection between them because Palmer tends to perform better in that area.”
