England hit by a NINTH withdrawal due to injury as uncapped player is called up to Lee Carsley’s squad for trip to Greece

A ninth player has pulled out of England’s squad for their Nations League matches against Greece and Republic of Ireland.

Eight of Lee Carsley’s original squad withdrew on Monday, and it was confirmed on Wednesday night that another player will not be travelling to Athens.

Interim boss Carsley has reacted by calling an uncapped player into his squad.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has been training away from the main squad this week and will now return to his club after failing to shake off an issue that has troubled him in the opening weeks of the campaign.

He has been replaced in the squad by Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah. 

Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has been forced to pull out of the squad due to injury

Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah has been called up to replace Branthwaite

Branthwaite joins Trent Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Levi Colwill and Aaron Ramsdale in pulling out of the England squad this week.

England captain Harry Kane has criticised his team-mates for dropping out, suggesting they have ‘taken advantage of a tough period of the season’, before insisting playing for the Three Lions should ‘come before anything’.

Asked what he wanted players to remember from Gareth Southgate’s reign, Kane told ITV: ‘I think the joy to play for England. I think he brought that back.

‘Every camp, people were excited to come, every camp people wanted to play for England and that’s the most important thing.

‘I think England comes before anything. It comes before club and it is the most important thing you play as a professional footballer.

‘Gareth was hot on that and he wasn’t and he wasn’t afraid to make decisions if that started to drift from certain players.’

Asked if he felt that culture may have softened this week in light of the glut of pull-outs, Kane told ITV: ‘It’s a shame this week obviously.

‘I think it’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit.

‘I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. I think as I just said there England comes before anything, any club situation.’

Carsley’s depleted squad now head to Greece ahead of Thursday’s match aiming for revenge after losing 2-1 to the same opponents at Wembley last month.

Quansah, who has moved up from the Under-21s to train with the squad with Branthwaite’s absence in recent days, will be battling with Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and Taylor Harwood-Bellis for a starting berth.