England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed defender John Stones has withdrawn from the national squad after failing to recover from a muscle injury.
The 31-year-old Manchester City player had been named in Tuchel’s squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, but his first camp under the new head coach has ended prematurely.
Stones, who has 83 caps, has not featured for England since October last year.
“Unfortunately, John Stones just left,” Tuchel said on Friday.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed defender John Stones has withdrawn from the national squad after failing to recover from a muscle injury
|PA
“He came with minor issues, muscular issues, to camp and didn’t progress as we thought and hoped he would.
"So, he left camp this morning because we will not take the risk. Everyone else is available.”
Tuchel also confirmed captain Harry Kane will start up front in Saturday’s qualifier against Andorra at Villa Park.
England are heavy favourites against the side ranked 174th in the world, having won all seven of their previous meetings without conceding a goal.
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But Tuchel warned his players against complacency, drawing on June’s 1-0 victory in Barcelona, where he admitted his team were fortunate.
He described the challenge of facing Andorra as “chewing gum,” pointing to their ability to frustrate opponents by slowing the game and closing down space.
“I didn’t like [the performance], it’s also down to me,” Tuchel said of the June encounter, when England were booed by their own fans.
“The structure was not ideal to speed the game up. We made it a bit too easy for Andorra to find the moments to close us down and to find the right moments to slow our game down.
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John Stones is out of England's clash with Andorra at Villa Park
|PA
“We tried already to give some new solutions to the players, to break down the block a bit easier, to be more aggressive.
"But we always have to balance our expectations because Andorra is a well-drilled team. I know it sounds maybe silly, but it is like this.”
Tuchel added that he expects “more enthusiasm” from England this time, particularly in the final third.
He emphasised the importance of setting the tone before Tuesday’s more difficult fixture away to Serbia in Belgrade.
Stones’ absence is a blow to Tuchel, who has been reshaping the England squad since replacing Gareth Southgate earlier this year.
The centre-back has been a mainstay for club and country in recent seasons, playing a key role in Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign in 2022–23.
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Thomas Tuchel wants England to play at a high level during Saturday's match with Andorra
|PA
His withdrawal further underlines England’s defensive concerns, with several other players recovering from fitness issues in recent months.
Despite those setbacks, England remain firm favourites to top their qualifying group. Victory over Andorra would extend their perfect record against the nation and provide momentum ahead of the trip to Serbia, a game Tuchel has already highlighted as a crucial test of his team’s progress.