Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been forced to withdraw from the England squad through injury.
Simon Peach of the Press Association reports that Loftus-Cheek is among a number of players who have been forced to miss out on.
Manchester City duo Fabian Delph and John Stones are both out, while an ankle injury means that Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson will also miss the games against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.
England boss Gareth Southgate has called upon Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse to step up into the squad.
The Saints star was unlucky to miss out on a call-up originally after impressing under Ralph Hasenhuttl in recent weeks.
It remains unclear about what exactly Loftus-Cheek’s injury is at this stage, but the player has continued to struggle with back problems this season. He came off the bench on Sunday during Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat away at Everton, while also playing midweek in the Europa League.
