England National Team Guide: Squad, Nations League Schedule and Season Storylines

England go into the September/October 2026 international window managing a new goalkeeping situation and a squad reshaped by injuries, three months after finishing third at the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel’s side opened the new Nations League season with a 2-3 home defeat to Spain, several players withdrew from the squad before a ball was kicked, and a trip to Czechia on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, was still to come as of publication. Here’s who’s involved, what’s on the schedule, and the storylines carrying England into October.

Who manages England, and what happened at the 2026 World Cup?

Thomas Tuchel remains in charge of the England men’s team, and this window is his first assignment since leading the squad to a third-place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. England reached the last four for the first time since 2018, beating Mexico 3-2 in the round of 16 and Norway 2-1 after extra time in the quarterfinal, before losing 1-2 to Argentina in the semifinal — England led through an early second-half goal before Argentina scored twice in the closing stages. Tuchel’s side then beat France 6-4 in the third-place playoff, a result widely reported as England’s best World Cup finish since it won the tournament outright in 1966. We covered England’s round-of-16 win over Mexico and previewed the Norway quarterfinal in full elsewhere.

Who’s in England’s squad for the September/October 2026 window?

Tuchel named a 27-player squad on Friday, September 18, 2026, for four Nations League matches against Spain, Czechia and Croatia. Five of those players withdrew through injury on Monday, September 21 — Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Tino Livramento, Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford — and only two replacements, Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner, were called up in their place, leaving a confirmed squad of 24 for the rest of the window. That squad, as most recently listed by England’s own football association, is:

Bukayo Saka and longtime captain Harry Kane are both included, and several World Cup regulars — including Bellingham, Saka and Kane — return after the summer run to the semifinals.

Why is James Trafford playing in goal instead of Jordan Pickford?

James Trafford started in goal against Spain and is in what Tuchel has publicly called a “two-game audition” as England’s goalkeeper, with Jordan Pickford handed the final two matches of the window. The reshuffle followed an injury to Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson, who was left out of the squad entirely and isn’t expected to be available again until after this international window closes. Trafford, who plays his club soccer for Leeds United, is starting the Spain and Czechia matches before Pickford — England’s regular starter through the World Cup — takes over for the games against Croatia and Czechia again in October.

What other injury news is affecting the squad?

Beyond the five September 21 withdrawals, defenders Ezri Konsa and Nico O’Reilly were doubtful for the Czechia match after both missed England’s final training session in London. Tuchel told reporters on Monday, September 28, 2026, that he could not yet confirm whether either player would be fit to travel or feature in Prague, calling it an unwelcome complication as he looks for more defensive stability after England conceded three goals to Spain in the opener. This detail was still unresolved as of publication and is worth checking again once England’s matchday squad for Czechia is confirmed.

Where do things stand in Nations League Group 3?

England sit on zero points after Matchday 1, level with Czechia at the bottom of Group 3, while Spain and Croatia both have three points after opening wins. Spain beat England 2-3 at Wembley, and Croatia beat Czechia 2-1, on the opening weekend of the new four-team group format. We covered Spain’s comeback win over England at Wembley in full detail elsewhere, and our guide to the 2026-27 Nations League format explains how the wider competition, promotion playoffs and Finals all work.

What’s left on England’s schedule this window?

England play three more Nations League matches before this window closes, starting with a trip to Czechia on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

As of publication on the morning of Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the Czechia match had not yet kicked off; it’s scheduled for 7:45pm local time (BST) at the Fortuna Arena in Prague. The double-header away to Croatia and back home to Czechia follows the next week, closing out Matchday 3 and 4 before Group 3 resumes in mid-November.

The bottom line

England’s squad situation is still settling after a deep World Cup run, with a goalkeeping trial, a handful of injury absences and an early Nations League defeat all playing out at once. None of that changes the shape of the group — there’s a long way to go before Group 3 is settled — but the next few results, plus whoever Tuchel names for the November window, will say a lot about how he’s rebuilding this team. We’ll keep tracking every result as Group 3 plays out.