Four players leave England's World Cup camp ahead of opening game vs Croatia

England have confirmed that Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha and Josh King have all departed the squad following their involvement in the World Cup warm-up fixtures. Head coach Thomas Tuchel opted to include the four youngsters to strengthen the numbers during the squad's stint in Florida.

England are due to travel to their base in Kansas City on Saturday as they turn their attention to their tournament opener against Croatia on Wednesday night (9pm). In the build-up to the game, the team has taken part in three warm-up matches. The Three Lions emerged victorious with a 1-0 win over New Zealand last Saturday, before following that up with a commanding 3-0 victory over Costa Rica on Wednesday night.

The third fixture was a behind-closed-doors friendly against Miami FC at England's training base, with reports suggesting the side ran out 6-0 winners, with both Nwaneri and Ngumoha getting their names on the scoresheet. In a post on England's official social media channels, a photograph of all four players was shared alongside a message reading: "An important part of our preparations so far. Thanks to Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha and Josh King who depart at the conclusion of our camp in Florida."

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Upon confirming the four players joining the squad, Tuchel outlined the rationale behind the selection. "We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players," he said.

Rio Ngumoha and Josh King

Rio Ngumoha and Josh King have left England’s camp (Image: Getty)

"I'm happy to have these players, especially Alex (Scott) who was on the list of 55 and obviously he didn't make the first cut but the reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him.

"That showed me his character and I'm delighted he'll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap."

All four players will be looking to build upon their experience when they rejoin their clubs during pre-season. Should they continue to shine in the Premier League, further England call-ups will undoubtedly follow in due course.

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