Manager Thomas Tuchel has already revealed that Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka are among the 11 players who will join the England squad late and miss the opening friendly. The Three Lions manager named a 35-man expansion squad for games against Uruguay and Japan at the end of March, knowing full well that nearly a third of his players would be absent for the early stages of the international break.
He will join up with his England team-mates after the match against Uruguay at Wembley, and Tuchel said there were two factors behind the decision. Many of the players who will be absent are important figures for the club, and some have shown their ability in previous England camps, so there is a desire to manage their workload.
Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rodgers are the two attacking players who will miss the opening game, joining Kane and Saka. Midfielders Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson are also expected to join the squad at a later stage.
Manchester City’s Marc Ghehi and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa are among the defenders who have been granted additional rest, along with Dan Byrne. Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, one of five shot-stoppers named in the squad, will also be sidelined initially.
“It’s no secret, we know the players: Dean Henderson, Dan Byrne, Mark Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Morgan Rodgers, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka,” Tuchel said.
“All of these players have played over 3,500 minutes, and some have played over 4,000 minutes. More important than pure minutes is that some of these players have already played more than they did all of last season, and there’s still plenty of football to play.”
“All of these players contributed in September, October and November, so I give them credit. By giving them a break, both physically and mentally, we can benefit.”
Their absence has given other players a chance to impress, with some players earning recalls over the years outside of the England squad. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s performances at Leeds have seen him expected to return, and with Kane unavailable for the game against Uruguay, he could be given the opportunity to spearhead the attack.
James Garner has earned his place in the squad and the Everton star could feature alongside Rice and Anderson, two central midfielders who were initially unavailable. James Trafford and Jason Steele are both goalkeeper replacements, but number one Jordan Pickford is also available.
Harry Maguire has returned to the team after many years in the wilderness, and the Manchester United centre-back could still get some playing time with some of his first-choice defenders unavailable.
