Declan Rice Leads England Injury Exodus for UEFA Nations League

Thomas Tuchel’s first international break in charge of England has been hit by a wave of withdrawals – and the headline name is Declan Rice.

The Arsenal midfielder, a pillar of England’s run to third place at the 2026 World Cup, is one of five players to pull out of the squad ahead of a demanding UEFA Nations League schedule. Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer and Manchester United pair Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford have all dropped out as well.

English newspaper The Sun reports that every one of the quintet has withdrawn due to injury issues, with Rice’s absence specifically linked to load management after an intense spell for club and country.

For Tuchel, it’s a significant early test. Rice has become England’s constant. He started every match at the last World Cup apart from the final group game against Panama, driving his cap tally up to 80 and underlining his status as one of the first names on the team sheet. Taking him out of the side changes the entire rhythm of England’s midfield.

The response has been swift. James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White have been drafted in as late call-ups and are due to report to St George’s Park on Tuesday, where they will link up with the rest of the squad and attempt to impress in a suddenly reshaped camp.

Upcoming Schedule

The schedule offers no breathing space. England host Spain at Wembley on Saturday in what will be Tuchel’s first major home test, then head to Prague to face the Czech Republic on Tuesday. A trip to Rijeka to meet Croatia follows on 3 October, before the Czechs visit London for a second Nations League clash on 6 October.

For a side that has leaned so heavily on Rice’s reliability, these games will reveal plenty. Can England adapt without their midfield anchor and a clutch of key attacking options, or will this international break expose just how much work Tuchel still has to do?