England vs. Spain: Why Rio Ngumoha will miss Nations League clash as Thomas Tuchel forced into brutal decision

Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha has been left out of the England matchday squad to face Spain in Saturday's UEFA Nations League fixture.

The 18-year-old earned just his second call-up to the senior England squad this month, after making his debut in a 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand in June before the World Cup.

Ngumoha was not taken to North America by Thomas Tuchel, but the England manager rewarded the winger for his breakthrough 2025-26 season with a recall for September and October's Nations League quadruple-header.

Ngumoha's hopes of featuring against Spain received an apparent boost earlier this week, when five England players withdrew through injury, including attackers Cole Palmer and Marcus Rashford.

James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White were added to Tuchel's ranks, though, giving the boss 24 players to work with, while only 23 can be named in a Nations League matchday squad as per UEFA rules.

Rio Ngumoha left out of England squad for Spain match

As a result, Tuchel was forced to leave one name out of his selection for Saturday's clash at Wembley, and Ngumoha is the unfortunate soul to be cut.

The official UEFA squad list for both countries has now been confirmed, and the 2008-born attacker's name does not appear on the England section, confirming his omission.

Instead, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers are listed as England's five attackers, while Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White are down as midfielders.

While Ngumoha is one of the least experienced international in the England squad with one cap to his name, Alex Scott and Jason Steele remain uncapped heading into the fixture with the World Cup winners.

However, both men are in the squad for the League A Group 3 opener, with Scott battling Elliot Anderson, James Garner and Myles Lewis-Skelly for a debut in the engine room.

Who should start for England against Spain?

Ngumoha was never expected to push for a start on Saturday evening, when Kane, Saka and Jude Bellingham are viewed as three attacking shoo-ins.

Either Gordon or Rogers will occupy the left-wing role for the Three Lions, while Anderson is the number one midfield pick following Declan Rice's withdrawal due to injury.

However, it is a toss of a coin between Lewis-Skelly and Scott for the second midfield spot, and the same goes for the left-back position, which Nico O'Reilly and Lewis Hall are scrapping for.

Trent Alexander-Arnold should be at the head of the queue for the right-back slot, though, likely joining Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi in front of Jordan Pickford.