Morgan Gibbs-White has been called up to the England squad despite not being included in the 26-man squad.

Gibbs-White will play in the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia on March 21 and 24, replacing Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer, who was injured and missed Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal. While the England squad have

yet to officially confirm Palmer’s withdrawal, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed the 22-year-old will not be available for the Three Lions during the international break.

Gibbs-White had five Premier League goals and seven assists for high-flying Forest this season and was given his senior England debut by Lee Carsley in September, having won the U17 World Cup in 2017 and U21 Euros in 2023 as a junior.

The midfielder won praise for his performance in Forest’s win at Ipswich on Saturday in which he registered an assist. “That’s why he should be in the England squad,” said เว็บพนันออนไลน์ UFABET สมัครง่าย โปรโมชั่นมากมาย pundit Michael Dawson, while his head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said he was convinced his player would soon be back in the fold. He didn’t have to wait long.

“I don’t think he’ll play, we don’t want to get injured, but in Cole’s case now is a good opportunity for him to have a rest, both physically and mentally. He’s got a scan on Monday,” Maresca said.

Gibbs-White’s call-up comes as a reward for his displays with Forest, who are third in the Premier League.

His omission from Tuchel’s first-team squad has previously drawn criticism from fans and many football pundits.

This season, the 25-year-old midfielder has scored five goals and provided seven assists in 25 Premier League games and was called up to the England senior team for the first time in August 2024 under Lee Carsley, making two appearances.