Everton pair James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite have been left out of England's 23-man squad to face world champions Spain in Sunday evening's UEFA Nations League clash.
The Blues duo, along with young Fulham midfielder Josh King, have been omitted from Thomas Tuchel's travelling party for the game in Madrid, according to talkSPORT.
Returning Players
Arsenal's Ezri Konsa and Inter Milan defender Djed Spence return to the fold after missing the win over Croatia through injury, while Konsa's club team-mate Myles Lewis-Skelly is back after suspension.
Konsa and Spence, both of whom impressed in England's World Cup campaign, returned to training on Saturday and were deemed fit enough to face Spain, for whom Lamine Yamal is back in the squad after missing Thursday's win over the Czech Republic.
Tactical Omissions
Garner came on for the final 12 minutes of the win over Croatia, but both his and Branthwaite's omissions are believed to be tactical, with both now expected to return to Everton to prepare for next Monday night's trip to Brentford.
Garner has won six caps for the Three Lions, all in 2026, while Branthwaite has picked up three. The Everton defender has essentially been overlooked in favour of Newcastle's Dan Burn and uncapped Bournemouth defender James Hill, who remain with the squad.
Garner's Reaction
Speaking after the Croatia win, Garner had said how much he was looking forward to facing Spain.
"1000 per cent, I think you're playing against the best team in the world," said the Blues midfielder.
"So, you want to go there, you want to test yourself, you want to compete. And ultimately, you want to win that game.
"It's kind of like a final, really. It's a chance to test ourselves against the world's best, so it'll be a good game.
"I think maybe because it's a new thing [Nations League], people might have that opinion [that it's not important]. But, you know, it's a chance to win the trophy for the team, so I think it's just as important."
