Five England players withdrew from the national squad with injuries on Monday ahead of the forthcoming UEFA Nations League matches. Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento all dropped out.
Outside a major tournament, there is no formal process for withdrawing from an international squad. BBC Sport understands the Football Association allows players to withdraw from England squads following a conversation between the medical departments of the player’s club and the national side. Medical assessments are also often carried out by both parties, and it is believed other football associations use a similar process, with no standardised practices in place.
Major tournaments operate differently. To withdraw through injury from a final tournament squad, some level of medical proof of injury is required and must be approved before a player can withdraw. There is also no formal process for adding players to a squad after the initial selection has been announced. The process at major tournaments is more formal, often before the team’s opening match for outfield players, while goalkeepers have fewer restrictions because it is a specialised position.
UEFA has no restrictions or regulations in place for players withdrawing from national squads outside the finals of a major tournament. Any necessary protocols are left to the discretion of each nation’s football association. For the Nations League, UEFA requires nations to submit a 23-player matchday squad before 23:59 Central European Time on the day before the match, and that squad must include at least three goalkeepers. For the Nations League finals, teams must submit squads of 26 players.