Five England Players Out, but International Withdrawals Follow No Set Rules

England lost five players to injury ahead of Nations League matches, a reminder that pulling out of a squad outside a major tournament has no formal process.

England confirmed on Monday that Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento had all withdrawn from the squad for upcoming UEFA Nations League matches, each citing injury.

Outside of a major tournament, there is no official procedure for a player to leave a national squad. According to BBC Sport, the Football Association handles such cases through discussions between the medical staff of the player's club and the national team, with medical assessments often conducted by both sides. Other federations are believed to operate in a similar way, since no standardized practice exists.

Major tournaments such as the World Cup or the European Championship are different. Withdrawing from a final tournament squad through injury requires medical proof, and that evidence must be approved before a player can pull out. Adding replacement players is likewise informal outside tournaments, though finals have more structured rules that typically apply before a team's opening match, with looser provisions for goalkeepers.

UEFA itself imposes no withdrawal regulations outside major tournament finals, leaving protocols to each nation's federation. For Nations League matches, teams simply submit a 23-player matchday squad, including at least three goalkeepers, by 23:59 CET the day before kickoff. Nations League finals squads must contain 26 players.