England captain Harry Kane has expressed his disappointment over the number of players who have withdrawn from the latest squad, emphasizing the importance of national duty.
A total of eight players, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale, Levi Colwill, and Cole Palmer, have pulled out of the squad for Lee Carsley’s final two matches as interim manager.
Kane, a seasoned England international, believes that representing the national team should be a priority for all players. He criticized the recent trend of players withdrawing from international duty, suggesting that club commitments are being prioritized over national pride.
“I think England comes before anything. England comes before club,” Kane said. “England is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer.”
While some players like Alexander-Arnold, Rice, and Saka had injury concerns, others like Grealish and Palmer were questionable selections given their recent lack of playing time. The reasons for Colwill and Foden’s withdrawals remain unclear.
England’s upcoming matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland are crucial for their hopes of promotion to League A of the UEFA Nations League. With several key players unavailable, the team faces a challenging task to achieve their goal.
Ghana’s 2025 AFCON Hopes
Elsewhere, Ghana defender Gideon Mensah has expressed concern over the withdrawal of eight players from the Black Stars’ squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. Players like Tariq Lamptey, Alexander Djiku, and Inaki Williams have pulled out due to injuries, while Joseph Paintsil has withdrawn for personal reasons.
Mensah acknowledged the significant impact of these absences on the team but remains optimistic about the remaining players’ ability to step up and deliver. ‘’ I am not really scared about that but like I said everybody is crucial to the team so if one player is not there, one will be there to play so…”
Ghana will face Angola on November 15 and Niger on November 18, with the team currently third in Group F and needing positive results to secure qualification for the 2025 AFCON.
