Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze will miss England’s upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan after being sidelined with a calf injury, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed on Sunday. The attacking midfielder had already been absent from Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the League Cup final.
Eze was included in Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man squad for England’s fixtures at Wembley, scheduled for March 27 against Uruguay and four days later against Japan, as part of preparations ahead of the World Cup. However, Arteta revealed that the midfielder will not be fit to join the national team. “No, he’s out,” Arteta said when asked about his availability. “We’ll do another scan in six or seven days and see how it looks. It’s a leg injury—his calf.”
Reports suggest that Newcastle United’s winger Harvey Barnes could step in to fill the spot vacated by Eze, offering England an alternative in the attacking midfield role as they continue their World Cup preparations.
