- Arsenal fans are facing an uncomfortable wait as Saka’s assessment continues
- Lee Carsley will have 22 players at his disposal ahead of Sunday’s meeting
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Bukayo Saka and Curtis Jones have withdrawn from the England squad ahead of the side’s crunch Nations League clash with Finland on Sunday.
Saka was forced off injured in this international break’s opening tie against Greece at Wembley on Thursday evening, ramping up concerns from national team and Arsenal fans alike.
The 23-year-old appeared to show some discomfort in his right leg and is thought to be undergoing a scan in a bid to clarify the extent of a potential problem.
‘He’s being assessed,’ Carsley said of his player after Thursday’s 2-1 defeat on home soil. ‘In the build-up to the first goal, you could see he felt something in his leg.’
England have now confirmed that Saka has returned to his club for further assessment before a verdict is reached.
Bukayo Saka was forced off shortly after the start of the second-half after going down injured
The Arsenal star is set to undergo a scan to determine the issue – with Arsenal fans crossing their fingers that he can return to Premier League action next week
England will look to get back to winning ways in their Nations League group against Finland on Sunday
Jones had been called into the squad as a replacement for injured players Kobbie Mainoo, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Ezri Konsa earlier in the week.
The Liverpool starlet has previously played for Carsley as part of his European Championship-winning Under-21s side, but is yet to receive a senior cap.
His wait will continue into the next international break, with the player returning to Liverpool due to a ‘personal commitment’.
22 players will instead train under Carsley this morning as they bid to bounce back on the heels of the team’s sobering defeat against Greece.
Curtis Jones’ wait for a senior cap rolls on after the Liverpool player withdrew from the squad due to a personal commitment
Jordan Pickford endured a difficult night at Wembley and will look to put the rare poor performance behind him
The Three Lions were clearly up beat during a training session in Tottenham on Saturday
The Greece game saw Carsley experiment with his line-up, though the gamble failed to truly pay off
The Hellenic side pulled off a historic victory at the home of English football thanks to a brace from Vangelis Pavlidis.
Should Carsley wish to be considered to take up his interim role in the dug-out full-time, England must return to winning ways in the competition after previous victories against Republic of Ireland and Finland.
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