Liverpool ace Rio Ngumoha has been left out of England’s matchday squad to face Spain in Saturday’s Nations League clash at Wembley due to UEFA’s 23-player limit.
Ngumoha was among the 24-man squad England manager Thomas Tuchel selected for the country’s upcoming Nations League fixtures.
While the 18-year-old would have hoped to make his first competitive debut for the Three Lions against world champions Spain, that dream has been postponed to a later date.
UEFA regulations permit only 23 players to feature in a matchday squad, but with 24 in Tuchel’s squad, it means one player had to be omitted from the matchday squad to face Spain.
All 24 players in the squad trained yesterday, but Ngumoha has been excluded from the group, with UEFA confirming the updated list on its website on Saturday morning.
The Liverpool academy graduate made his senior England debut during the pre-World Cup warm-up friendlies against New Zealand. But he wasn’t named in the final England squad that travelled to North America.
His chances of featuring against Spain were boosted earlier this week after five players, including Cole Palmer and Marcus Rashford, withdrew from the squad due to fitness concerns.
“It’s a day I’ll never forget” – Ngumoha reflects on senior England debut
Despite being excluded from the squad to face Spain, Ngumoha is expected to get more opportunities in the ongoing international window. The teenager is aware that he needs to “keep working hard” to break into Tuchel’s starting XI.
While he didn’t score on his senior debut, it was an outing Ngumoha will not forget soon, as he played 45 minutes against New Zealand.
“My senior debut [against New Zealand] was crazy,” Ngumoha wrote. “I remember in the morning, we had the meeting and they said I was going to play in the second half. I wasn’t even nervous – I was excited because at the end of the day, nobody expected much from me so I just thought, ‘I can just put on a show for everyone’ and thankfully, I did that. It’s a day I’ll never forget.”
His appearance against New Zealand made him the fifth youngest player to represent the Three Lions.