Thomas Tuchel has been forced to make a last-minute change to his England squad ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
Tuchel announced his 26-player selection on Friday morning, with this weekend’s Premier League schedule – along with the Carabao Cup final – the last set of fixtures before the international break.
He made a number of picks that surprised some fans, including recalls for Ajax captain Jordan Henderson and Aston Villa forward Marcus Rashford.
But the German has had to make an unplanned change to his squad – and the player who has been selected will no doubt delight supporters.
Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer has had to withdraw from the squad as he requires a scan on a muscle injury.
His replacement is Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, who many fans believed should have been named in the original squad.
An England statement reads: “Morgan Gibbs-White has been added to the England squad.
“The Nottingham Forest midfielder will now report to St George’s Park alongside the rest of the squad ahead of the Three Lions’ opening 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley Stadium.”
Morgan Gibbs-White has been called up to the England squad by Thomas Tuchel (Image: Getty)
Gibbs-White has five goals and seven assists to his name in the Premier League this season, with Forest currently in third place.
He will now look to add to his two caps for the senior England team.
Palmer, meanwhile, played no part in the Blues’ 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, with manager Enzo Maresca subsequently confirming that the scan is planned for Monday.
The Italian told Chelsea’s official website: “His injury was from yesterday [Saturday]’s session. It’s a muscular problem.
“He needs a scan, and it is planned for tomorrow morning. I hope he can be back for our next game, but we need to wait for a scan.
“We don’t wish players injury, but probably in Cole’s case in this moment it will give him some rest, physically and mentally, it could be good.”
For Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, Gibbs-White’s return to the England setup proves right a prediction he only made on Saturday.
Speaking after Forest’s 4-2 win over Ipswich, the Portuguese boss said: “Morgan’s been fantastic for us this season, he’s such a talented player.
“I wish for him to keep continuing, because if circumstances are normal, he will get back in the England squad for sure.”
