Arsenal and Chelsea both see two players pull out of Lee Carsley's England squad - when will they return?

England interim manager Lee Carsley has taken a blow ahead of his final group of fixtures in charge of the men’s national team, with eight players pulling out of the squad due to injury and fitness concerns.

The Three Lions will face UEFA Nations League games against Greece in Athens on Thursday 14 Novembe, and against Ireland on Sunday 17 November at Wembley Stadium. However, with they’ll be facing their opponents with a depleted squad, missing several of the top names who have pulled out of international duty by their respective clubs.

Big names that are missing include Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Man City duo Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, and Southampton goalkeeper. Aaron Ramsdale. On top of that, both Arsenal and Chelsea have pulled two players out of the squad, which could cause Lee Carsley several selection headaches this week.

Two Arsenal players pull-out of England squad

Firstly, Gunners star Bukayo Saka will miss the fixtures due to an injury that he suffered during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea this past weekend where goals came from Gabriel Martinelli and Pedro Neto. The winger was seen to limp off the pitch when he was substituted for Brazil international Gabriel Jesus in the 80th minute.

The specificity of Saka’s injury is currently unclear, but as he was seen limping off the field, it is most likely a leg issue. The England international hasn’t long come back from a hamstring issue that he sustained during the last international break against Greece.

Secondly, midfielder Declan Rice has also pulled out of the England squad after also suffering an injury in the draw with Chelsea. Rice’s injury looks like an issue to his foot which he is currently being assessed over.

After the game, Mikel Arteta said: “It doesn't look good because two players of that importance tell you that they cannot continue in the game, so it obviously isn't good news. I don't expect them to be fit [for England] because if they were, they wouldn't have come off.”

Two Chelsea players pull out of England squad

Furthermore, Lee Carsley also has to cope without star midfielder Cole Palmer, who was voted England men’s team player of the year earlier in the season. He was a doubt to face Arsenal last weekend after being on the receiving end of a strong tackle from Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez but was able to play the full ninety minutes against the Gunners.

The details of centre-back Levi Colwill’s injury are currently unknown. The Blues academy product also played the full game against Arsenal last weekend. Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Newcastle’s Tino Livramento are among the names brought in to replace the absentees.

The pull outs have raised concerns over the sustainability of having three international breaks before Christmas, with the increasing workload on footballers continuing to provoke debate both within the game itself and with supporters. Some have suggested that clubs are now looking to take precautions by withdrawing their players from international duty, ahead of a packed fixture list around Christmas.

Thomas Tuchel will take over as England boss for the next international break which comes in March, and he will be hoping to have a fitter and fuller squad to work with as the Three Lions embark upon their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.