JUDE BELLINGHAM and Levi Colwill have both withdrawn from the England squad.
The duo will now miss the final Euro 2024 qualifying matches during the international break.
The Three Lions face Malta on Friday before travelling to North Macedonia for the match on Monday.
Bellingham and Colwill will now miss the games due to shoulder injuries.
They will return to their clubs, Real Madrid and Chelsea, to receive treatment for their problems.
The two had become important players for the side in recent games.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
Bellingham’s presence in midfield was crucial in wins over Italy, Ukraine and Scotland.
Colwill however, had become a decent left-back option for manager Gareth Southgate as he covered for Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell.
The withdrawals were confirmed by England Football in a statement.
It read: “Jude Bellingham and Levi Colwill will play no part in England’s forthcoming UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
“The pair arrived at St. George’s Park for assessments on Monday but will now return to Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively to continue their rehabilitation.”
Reports in Spain have claimed that Real Madrid did “not trust” England over Bellingham.
It comes as a fresh blow to manager Gareth Southgate, who already had three players drop out due to injuries.
James Maddison, Lewis Dunk and Callum Wilson had already pulled out of the team.
As a result, Southgate offered first-ever call-ups to Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis and Ezri Konsa to the national team.
This could see the manager name some experimental line-ups for the two matches.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
