England have confirmed that four players have departed their World Cup training camp in Florida ahead of the tournament opener against Croatia. Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha, and Josh King have all left the squad after participating in warm-up fixtures.
Preparations in Florida
Head coach Thomas Tuchel included the four youngsters to bolster numbers during the team's stay in Florida. England are set to travel to their base in Kansas City on Saturday as they focus on the opening match against Croatia on Wednesday night at 9pm.
The Three Lions played three warm-up games during the camp. They secured a 1-0 victory over New Zealand last Saturday, followed by a commanding 3-0 win against Costa Rica on Wednesday night. The third fixture was a behind-closed-doors friendly against Miami FC at England's training base, with reports indicating a 6-0 win, with Nwaneri and Ngumoha scoring.
Official Statement
England's official social media channels shared a photo of the four players with a message: "An important part of our preparations so far. Thanks to Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha and Josh King who depart at the conclusion of our camp in Florida."
Tuchel explained the rationale for including the young players: "We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players." He added, "I'm happy to have these players, especially Alex (Scott) who was on the list of 55 and obviously he didn't make the first cut but the reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him. That showed me his character and I'm delighted he'll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap."
Future Prospects
All four players will aim to build on their experience when they rejoin their clubs during pre-season. If they continue to excel in the Premier League, further England call-ups are likely in the future.
