Insiders from Premier League clubs have reportedly blamed Thomas Tuchel and the FA for the huge spike in injury withdrawals from the upcoming England squad this month.
The Three Lions will face Greece in Athens on Thursday in a must-win UEFA Nations League clash, as they sit three points behind the Euro 2004 winners in the hunt for promotion back to League A.
Three days after the trip to the Greek capital, England will round off their campaign at home against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley, which could be hugely important again depending on the outcome of Thursday's clash.
Interim manager Lee Carsley has been inundated with injury casualties since naming his final England squad last week though.
Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, Manchester City's Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Southampton's Aaron Ramsdale have all pulled out of the squad, with most picking up minor knocks over the weekend.
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Premier League clubs blast FA and Tuchel
Tuchel's will not officially start as England manager until January 1, despite being announced as Gareth Southgate's permanent replacement last month, meaning Carsley faces a difficult task in encouraging the remaining players for the two upcoming matches, knowing he will not be there in the new year.
In the aftermath of the withdrawals, the Telegraph claim that insiders from several Premier League clubs believe the delay in Tuchel's official takeover is the reason for the high number of pull-outs.
There is also the belief that even more players will leave the camp after the match against Greece, considering that so much hinges on that result, and anything but a win will likely make the Ireland clash a dead rubber.
The Telegraph's source on this issue claims in the report: "At least half of those players would still be with the squad if Tuchel was in charge for these games.
"That's not to say they don't have injuries or issues, but players aren't going to take any risks when they know the current manager won't be there after this break.
"Players are physically and mentally tired, and many of them, and their clubs, see this as the only opportunity for a break before a run of a lot of games packed into a short space of time.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we see more withdrawals after the first game against Greece."
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Has the FA responded?
The fact that many pundits and managers in England see the Nations League as a hindrance rather than a competition that should be taken seriously will have not made the situation any easier either.
While not speaking out specifically on multiple first-choice players pulling out, the FA has responded to criticism over Tuchel's January start date.
They explain that it was their intention all along for the German to start in 2025, allowing him to fully concentrate on long-term objectives for the time being, instead of these upcoming UNL games.
The plan when Carsley was placed in temporary charge was for him to lead the team through the three international windows this autumn, ensuring a smooth transition into Tuchel's tenure, and the appointment of the ex-Chelsea boss was not intended to change that.
Andrew Delaney
