One of England’s key players has been ruled out of the 2026 World Cup after suffering an injury while playing for his club, just two months before the start of the tournament scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In recent days, several important players across various national teams participating in the World Cup have been sidelined with injuries, the latest being Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.
Branthwaite to miss 2026 World Cup
During the Liverpool-Everton match, Branthwaite was injured and had to leave the field on a stretcher. Further tests conducted in the hours following the injury have confirmed that he will not be able to join the Three Lions for the World Cup.
According to the Daily Mail, Branthwaite is suffering from a hamstring injury. While not serious or cause for concern, it will require at least two months of recovery before he can return to training.
The player is aware that he will not be able to participate in the 2026 World Cup and is now solely focused on returning in time for pre-season training, which typically begins in early July.
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Branthwaite was close to joining the 2026 World Cup squad
The 23-year-old was among the players expected to be part of England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, despite not being called up during the last international break in March.
Branthwaite has been performing exceptionally well recently and is one of the key reasons for Everton’s defensive stability. Therefore, it was expected that he would be included in England’s World Cup squad and compete for a starting position at center-back.
Overall, the player doesn’t have an impressive international career, having only made one appearance for England. He is undoubtedly disappointed now, especially since sources close to coach Thomas Tuchel had anticipated his first call-up under the German manager during the May pre-World Cup training camp.
England’s Options at Center-Back
Fortunately for Tuchel, England has a wealth of options at center-back, with Marc Guehi, who moved to Manchester City last winter, remaining the German coach’s preferred choice.
Manchester United’s in-form center-back Harry Maguire is expected to join the Three Lions squad for the World Cup, along with City’s John Stones and Newcastle’s Dan Brown. Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori will compete for the final spot in Tuchel’s team.
England’s Group at the 2026 World Cup
The England squad is scheduled to convene on May 25th to prepare for the World Cup. Tuchel’s team will play two friendlies: the first against New Zealand on June 6th, and the final one before the tournament against Costa Rica on June 10th.
England will begin their World Cup campaign on June 17 with a match against Croatia, a rematch of the 2018 semi-final, followed by a match against Ghana in the second round, and the group stage will conclude with a match against Panama, also a repeat of the 2018 edition.
