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They point to selection puzzles rather than a crisis. Six players withdrew from October duty, among them Rice, Mainoo, Palmer, Rashford, Scott and Konsa, and England still beat Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka. The return at Wembley comes on Thursday 12 November at 19:45 GMT, with the November squad unnamed and several fitness reports in conflict. England sit second in the group on nine points, while Croatia have only three after four games. That mix of certainty and doubt makes squad building the story to watch.
Rice has no confirmed injury, and Arsenal are managing minor niggles, and he is expected to be fit. Mainoo’s absence is put down to load management in some accounts and an unspecified injury in others. Palmer is described as dealing with a muscle problem or simple fatigue, though he too is expected to be available. Taken together, the list is long but mostly made of short-term issues rather than season-ending ones.
Rashford carried a minor groin knock and was expected back on 10 October. Scott is the clearest long-term case, with a quad injury that rules him out for six to eight weeks. Konsa’s knock is called minor in some reports, while others suggest he could be out until late October.
The replacement list shows where the cover is thinnest. Garner has been called up for the midfield spots left by Rice and Mainoo, Gibbs-White for Palmer, and Quansah for Konsa. Scott’s place could go to Lewis-Skelly or Garner, and no replacement has been named for Rashford.
Central midfield absorbs the heaviest load, with three of the six players working in that area and a fourth operating just ahead of it. Calling up Garner for two different roles shows how few spare central midfielders remain, so any further withdrawal would stretch the squad again.
| Player | Position | Fitness status | Likely replacement |
| Rice | Midfielder | Managed niggles; no confirmed injury | Garner (called up) |
| Mainoo | Midfielder | Load management or unspecified | Garner (called up) |
| Palmer | Attacking midfielder | Muscle issue | Gibbs-White (called up) |
| Rashford | Forward | Minor groin knock | Not found |
| Scott | Midfielder | Quad injury, 6-8 weeks | Lewis-Skelly or Garner |
| Konsa | Defender | Minor knock | Quansah |
The Rijeka game on 3 October was one-sided from the early stages. Kane scored in the eighth minute and again in the 53rd; Bellingham added a third on 21 and Gordon a fourth on 39. Saka struck on 45 and 68, and Rogers completed the rout in the 87th.
That margin produces confidence but also a trap. Croatia will arrive with a point to prove, and a team that conceded seven will not repeat the same shape. England’s depth is being tested at the very time they need to show it can absorb absentees without losing sharpness. Croatia have conceded 14 times in four group games, so they must tighten the back line before anything else.
Group A3 reads Spain 12 points, England 9, Croatia 3 and Czechia 0. England have won three of four, scoring 14 and conceding 3, with a 3-2 defeat by Spain the lone blemish and wins over Czechia by 2-0 and 3-0. A win at Wembley would keep them within reach of the leaders.
Croatia have taken one win from four, beating Czechia 2-1, then losing 4-1 and 2-1 to Spain, before the heavy defeat in Rijeka. Their four goals in four games explain why the table looks so bleak, and a repeat of that scoring rate at Wembley would leave them with very little to build on.
| Team | Goals scored | Goals conceded |
| England | 14 | 3 |
| Croatia | 4 | 14 |
England have a strong record in this fixture. Before Rijeka, the tally stood at seven wins to England, two draws and three to Croatia, and the Rijeka result makes it eight, two and three. Their meeting at the 2026 World Cup on 17 June ended 4-2 to England as well.
Two heavy-scoring wins in four months suggest a clear gap in attacking quality, whatever the fitness reports say. The England vs Croatia Nations League 2026 injuries picture will only clear once the November squad is named, and until then the safest assumption is a side deep enough to cope.
Which absence would hurt England most, and who should step in? Tell us in the comments.
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When is England’s rematch with Croatia?
England host Croatia on Thursday 12 November at Wembley. Kickoff is at 19:45 GMT, which is 7:45 pm in London, and it is the second meeting between the two sides in this competition.
What was the score when England last played Croatia?
England won 7-0 away in Rijeka on 3 October. Kane and Saka scored twice each, with Bellingham, Gordon and Rogers adding one apiece in a result that left Croatia stuck on three points.
Which England players withdrew in October?
Scott, Konsa, Palmer, Rashford, Mainoo and Rice all withdrew. Their November status is not confirmed, and the squad for the rematch has not been named, so each case stays open until the squad announcement.
Which group are England in?
England are in Group A3 of League A this season. They share it with Spain, Croatia and Czechia, and currently sit second on nine points, three behind the leaders, Spain.
How long is Scott out injured?
Scott is out for six to eight weeks with a quad injury. That period could stretch toward November, though the squad for the rematch is still unannounced, so the timeline is worth watching closely.
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