The in-form Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Nick Pope have pulled out of the England squad in this international break because of injury, the Daily Mail reports.
Gareth Southgate is hoping his team can make an excellent start to their Euro 2024 qualifiers and was keen to have all his best men available.
However, the report claims Rashford suffered a knock in Manchester United’s game against Fulham at the weekend and it is serious enough for him to miss the games for England.
Mount is also nursing an injury and has decided to use this break to get fit for the return of club football next month, with the national team handlers agreeing to his request.
Newcastle’s Pope is also surprisingly injured and the Three Lions have called Tottenham’s Fraser Forster to replace him in the squad, as they need at least three goalkeepers in camp.
Solly March and Morgan Gibbs-White have emerged as options for England recently, but the report insists Southgate does not intend to call up replacements for Rashford and Mount.
England has one of the best squads in the world now, and we expect them to qualify for the Euros in 2024, as they will also be one of the favourites to win it.
The Three Lions have traditionally done very well in qualifying matches, and we expect them to keep doing better now that they have an even stronger squad.
A good start is essential, but even if they do not achieve that, we expect the English side to still make up before the qualifiers are over, which means the players who have pulled out of these games will still play an important role for the country.
