Tuchel's England squad: Jobe Bellingham and Josh King in, Cole Palmer left out

Bellingham brothers and first call-ups

Thomas Tuchel named a 25-man England squad on Friday, 6 November 2026, for the Nations League games against Croatia and Spain. Jobe Bellingham, a 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder and younger brother of Jude Bellingham, received his first England call-up, and the two brothers are in the squad together. Jobe joined Dortmund from Sunderland in the summer of 2025 and has played 14 times in all competitions this season, starting six of his side's eight Bundesliga matches. Fulham midfielder Josh King, 19, also earns his first call-up after starting all nine of Fulham's Premier League fixtures this season, with two goals and an assist.

Returns and goalkeepers

Ben White is back in the squad for the first time since March, when he last won one of his six caps against Japan. Declan Rice returns after injury, and Djed Spence is selected again after missing the September-October squad. Trent Alexander-Arnold keeps his place. In goal, Jordan Pickford and James Trafford are joined by Jason Steele, who takes the third spot ahead of Dean Henderson.

Omissions and injuries

Cole Palmer, the Chelsea attacking midfielder, is left out. He has played three times for England in the last two years, most recently in March's friendly against Japan, and was not in Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad. Palmer started all nine of Chelsea's Premier League matches this season, with three goals and three assists. He also withdrew from the September squad before joining the camp, and Morgan Gibbs-White of Nottingham Forest took his place. Tuchel had said of that absence:

“He misses too many opportunities, and I don't blame him for it, it's just the fact.”

Kobbie Mainoo and Nico O'Reilly are not in the squad, and Bukayo Saka is absent with a thigh injury. Dean Henderson, Dan Burn and Jordan Henderson are left out after missing the last camp. Alex Scott, Marcus Rashford, John Stones, Tino Livramento, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are ruled out through injury.

Fixtures and group position

England host Croatia at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, 12 November, and then face Spain at the Metropolitano in Madrid on 15 November. Both matches are Nations League fixtures. Harry Kane is in line to win a 126th cap for the men's team against Croatia, which would be a record for the side.

England sit second in their group with nine points, behind Spain on 12. Croatia are third on three points, and the Czech Republic have no points yet. Tuchel's side have won three of their first four matches. England need only a draw from their last two games to reach the quarter-finals, and a win could be enough to top the group if Spain drop points against the Czech Republic and Croatia.

Spain12

England9

Croatia3

Czech Republic0

Spain

12 points

England

9 points

Croatia

3 points

Czech Republic

0 points

Data from the article text