Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, and Sam Johnstone will not be playing in the England game against Belgium. Instead, Rico Lewis and James Trafford have been selected to join the team.

In a disappointing turn of events for the England squad, Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire have been forced to withdraw from the team ahead of their friendly against Belgium. The defensive duo sustained injuries during the team’s 1-0 defeat to Brazil on Saturday and will now return to their respective clubs, Manchester City and Manchester United.

Walker, who was captaining the team, limped off the field just 19 minutes into the match at Wembley. Maguire, his replacement, was also unable to complete the game and was forced off in the second half. This leaves England manager Gareth Southgate with some defensive reshuffling to do before the upcoming match.

To fill the void left by Walker and Maguire, Southgate has called up Rico Lewis from the U21 squad. The 19-year-old Manchester City player will join the senior team for the first time. Additionally, James Trafford of Burnley has received his first senior call-up as a back-up goalkeeper, replacing Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone who is also returning to his club.

Despite the setback against Brazil, Southgate remains optimistic about the upcoming match against Belgium. The England manager is looking forward to hosting the fourth-ranked team in the world at Wembley. Belgium, led by manager Domenico Tedesco, played to a goalless draw against Republic of Ireland on Saturday.

Southgate acknowledges that Belgium may have a slight advantage in terms of freshness, as they likely fielded a different starting lineup against Ireland. However, he sees the match as an opportunity for his players to gain valuable experience and continue building towards the summer tournaments.

Reflecting on the defeat to Brazil, Southgate expressed satisfaction with the performance of his young and inexperienced players. Despite the negative reaction to the loss, he believes that the crowd at Wembley was supportive of the team, especially as they witnessed the promising performances of the new and inexperienced players.

With the Belgium match on the horizon, Southgate remains focused on the development of his squad and is confident in their abilities to bounce back from the defeat and deliver a strong performance against a formidable opponent.