Arsenal teenager in England frame after five withdrawals

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Max Dowman could be handed a senior England call-up for the upcoming Nations League fixtures after five Premier League players pulled out of Thomas Tuchel's squad.

Marcus Rashford, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento have all withdrawn ahead of England's quadruple header against Spain, Czechia (twice) and Croatia.

According to football.london, Rice has pulled out over load-management concerns, while Palmer is managing a slight injury at his own pace. Rashford picked up a knock in Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday, with Mainoo and Livramento also recovering from minor setbacks.

Dowman already at St George's Park

Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner have already been drafted in as cover, but the same report claims Tuchel is weighing up a call to Dowman if he needs further additions.

Convenience may work in the 16-year-old's favour. Dowman is currently at St George's Park with England's Under-19s set-up, meaning Tuchel would not have to look far to bring him into the senior group.

The Chelmsford-born forward made six Premier League appearances for Arsenal last season and became the competition's youngest-ever goalscorer when he found the net against Everton in March, aged 16 years and 73 days.

He also featured three times in the Champions League under Mikel Arteta across a debut campaign he juggled with completing his GCSEs.

World Cup snub and what comes next

That breakthrough season was not enough to earn Dowman a place in Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad for North America, a list that also left out Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Lewis Hall.

The Nations League window could yet change that. England begin their campaign against Spain at a sold-out Wembley on Saturday, September 26, before travelling to Prague to face Czechia on Tuesday, September 29.

A three-day break follows before England take on Croatia in Rijeka on Saturday, October 3. That fixture will be played behind closed doors following crowd issues during Croatia's quarter-final against France in the same competition in March 2025, with around 100 England supporters permitted to attend.

Three days later, Tuchel's side return to Wembley for the second meeting with Czechia, closing out a congested run of four matches in just under two weeks.

For Arsenal, the situation carries a familiar double edge. Rice's withdrawal means the midfielder will get a rest during the break, while Dowman, still only 16, could return to north London having made his senior international debut.

Tuchel's final decision on any additional call-ups is expected in the coming days as England's camp takes shape ahead of Saturday's opener against Spain.