Palmer left out as Jobe Bellingham and Josh King earn first England call-ups

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Cole Palmer has been left out of England’s squad while Jobe Bellingham and Josh King have received their first senior call-ups. Thomas Tuchel named a 25-man group on Friday, 6 November, for the final two Nations League matches of the year.

Bellingham and King move up from the under-21 side. Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham joins his brother Jude in the senior squad, while Fulham’s King already has experience of the set-up after attending England’s pre-World Cup training camp in Florida during the summer.

Ben White returns for the first time since March, having missed the World Cup through injury. Djed Spence and Declan Rice are also back after injuries kept them out of the previous camp.

Palmer’s omission comes despite his availability. Sky Sports reported that medical checks with Chelsea on Thursday confirmed he was fully fit. The attacker has contributed five goals and three assists in 11 appearances this season, but missed the previous England camp with a minor fitness problem after being overlooked for the World Cup.

Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo are also absent. Foden was not selected for the summer tournament, while Mainoo was part of that squad without making an appearance and subsequently withdrew from the previous camp through injury.

England host Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, 12 November, before travelling to Madrid to face Spain on Sunday, 15 November.

The squad will assemble early next week. England are seeking a place in the Nations League quarter-finals in March, with avoiding defeat against Croatia enough to secure qualification.

Sources

• England Football: Tuchel names squad for Croatia and Spain
• Sky Sports: Palmer omitted as Bellingham and King receive first call-ups (2026-11-06)