England defender John Stones has been ruled out of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia after failing to recover from a muscle problem.
The Manchester City centre-back joined up with the national team earlier this week but left the camp on Friday morning after it became clear he was not fit enough to feature.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed the decision, explaining that Stones had arrived with discomfort and did not make the progress expected over the past few days.
“He came with minor muscular issues,” Tuchel said. “We hoped he would recover, but he didn’t progress as we thought he would, so he left camp this morning.”
Tuchel stressed that no risks would be taken with Stones’ fitness. “We will not take the risk, not against Andorra and also unfortunately not against Serbia,” he added.
Stones has started all three of Manchester City’s Premier League games this season but will now return to his club for further assessment.
His absence leaves Tuchel with four other central defensive options in Marc Guehi, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah. All trained with the squad on Thursday and Friday.
“Everyone else is available,” Tuchel said. “We had 21 players in training yesterday and 21 today. Hopefully we keep them all fit for tomorrow.”
England face Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday before travelling to Belgrade to play Serbia on Tuesday. Both fixtures are part of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel confirmed that captain Harry Kane will start against Andorra, even with the quick turnaround before the trip to Serbia.
“It’s World Cup season,” Tuchel said. “We have a condensed period of three camps until the end of qualifying. Competition is on, so we will start with the team that we trust and with the best team possible for this game, and then manage the second game.”
England currently sit top of their qualifying group and know victories in both fixtures would put them within touching distance of securing a place at the finals.
Stones’ injury is a setback, but Tuchel’s insistence on fielding strong lineups suggests England are determined to maintain their momentum in the campaign.
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