England suffered a setback ahead of the upcoming fixture, with striker Ollie Watkins quitting the team due to injury.
Aston Villa’s striker played a key role in England’s 2024 semifinals, where he joined Thomas Tuchel’s side in training camp in Spain.
However, the Football Association has confirmed that Watkins will not play a role in the international break in June, a precautionary measure for minor issues.
“Ollie Watkins will not play a role in England’s upcoming match against Andorra and Senegal,” the FA said in a statement.
“The Aston Villa striker has withdrawn from the team due to minor injuries, which is a precautionary measure. Now a 25-man team will continue to prepare for the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona.”
Saturday’s clash with Andorra is England’s third K qualifier as they hope to keep a perfect start on the road to the 2026 World Cup football match. Three Lions started the match in March with a victory over Albania and Latvia at Wembley, a favorite that continues to be on the 164th side of the world.
Ollie Watkins withdraws #threeelions Camping is a preventive measure due to minor injuries.
– England (@England) June 6, 2025
Although the quality between the two sides is in quality, head coach Thomas Tuchel called on his players to be patient and focus, which stressed the importance of energy and discipline rather than the deep Andoron defense.
Tachel said in a speech before the game: “This is not the easiest moment in the international rest calendar.
“The players stand out on a short vacation, they come from a long and demanding season. It’s important not to expect too early, too early.
Tachel also talked about the comparison between England’s upcoming match and Thursday’s exciting National League semifinals, where the 2024 European Cup champions achieved a huge 5-4 victory.
“It is unfair to expect such a game on Saturday night,” Tuchel added.
“Spain and France are one of the highest football players in Europe at present, and it is a real sight to be good offensively. It’s different from our World Cup qualifiers against Andorra.”
England will return to Senegal in a friendly match in Nottingham Forest City on Tuesday after facing Barcelona’s Andorra. The fixture will provide Tacher with further opportunities to test his squad and build momentum before the September international players.
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