Ask Onix
England call up Chalobah and Trafford after withdrawals
Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford have been added to England's squad for the final World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Serbia, replacing the injured Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope, the Football Association confirmed Tuesday.
Injury withdrawals confirmed
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe announced that winger Gordon (hip injury) and goalkeeper Pope (concussion) would miss the matches. The FA later confirmed their withdrawals, prompting the call-ups of Chalobah and Trafford.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who suffered a foot injury in last week's Conference League win over AZ Alkmaar, has linked up with the squad but remains under assessment, according to manager Thomas Tuchel.
Chalobah follows brother's path
Chalobah, 26, becomes the 21st pair of siblings to represent England, following his brother Nathaniel. He earned his first call-up in May under Tuchel and made his debut against Senegal. Though left out of the September and October squads, Tuchel previously described his omission as "unfortunate."
The defender has been a mainstay for Chelsea this season, featuring in all but four matches as the club sits third in the Premier League, reaches the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, and advances in the Champions League.
England's squad for Albania and Serbia
With qualification for next summer's World Cup already secured, Tuchel's 26-man squad includes:
- Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City)
- Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City)
- Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Alex Scott (Bournemouth), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
- Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
What's next
England face Albania on November 17 and Serbia on November 20, with both matches serving as final preparations ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
