THOMAS TUCHEL has ruled Ollie Watkins out of England’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
The 29-year-old suffered a knock during a friendly against Wales on Thursday.
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Ollie Watkins has been ruled out of England v LatviaCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
He collided with a goalpost while sliding in to connect with a cross just six minutes before half-time.
The Aston Villa man was initially able to continue, but made way for Marcus Rashford at half-time.
Now, the striker has been ruled out of Tuesday’s clash with Latvia.
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THE BBC’s coverage of Wales vs North Macedonia was interrupted by a technical error on Tuesday.
Just over two minutes into the World Cup qualifier, coverage of the match was stopped.
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Coverage of North Macedonia vs Wales was interrupted by a fault
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Coverage continued shortly afterCredit: AP
Instead, a screen which read: “Temporary fault,” flashed up while the broadcaster scrambled to get the live feed going again.
Coverage of the match eventually continued around a minute-and-a-half later.
Fans were left baffled by the early issue, with one person taking to X to write: “Good start to the North Macedonia v Wales game on BBC.
“Someone in the commentary box also had their microphone on and was just having a general chat in the background as well 😂 #Cymru.”
Ahead of the match, Wales head coach Craig Bellamy said: “North Macedonia is a different game to Kazakhstan.
“We knew that beforehand so it hasn’t changed anything to what we’re looking to do.
“We’ve had to review the game quickly and there were some really positive bits.
“There were some things we need to improve on, but overall I’m very happy and it’s another game that allows us to progress.”
Asked if Wales were the underdogs going into the match, he continued: “I never see us an underdog. I’m not an underdog, I never have been. I will not accept that.
“Favourites? I hope so. It doesn’t mean you take it for granted. I always look at it as a game of football. Can we have fun? Can we enjoy it?”
How Lewis-Skelly could be Tuchel’s secret weapon for England
FIFA chiefs have issued a grovelling apology to the Ukrainian FA for an “unacceptable” error they “sincerely regret” during the World Cup qualifying draw.
And football’s governing body have now responded expressing their “sincere regret” over the decision.
Elkhan Mammadov, Chief Member Association Officer, said: “We acknowledge receipt of your letter and would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
England manager Thomas Tuchel reacts to Three Lions’ World Cup 2026 qualifying draw
World Cup qualifying draw in full
Group A: Winner GER/ITA, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C: Loser POR/DEN, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D: Winner FRA/CRO, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E: Winner SPA/NED, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F: Winner POR/DEN, Hungary, Ireland, Armenia
Group G: Loser SPA/NED, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I: Loser GER/ITA, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechenstein
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L: Loser FRA/CRO, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
“We deeply respect the concerns raised and the sensitivity of the issue at hand.
“The infographic in question was developed by an external third-party service provider.
“Upon recognising the issue, we have taken immediate steps to address the situation, including working to have the image removed from circulation.
“Additionally, we are conducting an internal review to ensure such oversights do not recur in the future.
“We fully understand the delicate sensitivity of this matter and while the incident was unintentional, we sincerely regret any concern it may have caused and appreciate your understand as we work to address this situation responsibly.”
The Ukrainian FA’s initial letter had stated: “We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the infographic map of Europe shown during the TV broadcast of the European Qualifiers draw for the Fifa World Cup 2026 on December 13, 2024.
“The map, which indicated the countries unable to cross borders, highlighted the territory of Ukraine without the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
“Considering several official decisions and resolutions passed by the Fifa Council and the Uefa Executive Committee since 2014, which addressed the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the protection of football stakeholders in our country from the aggressive policies of the Russian terrorist state, including regarding the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, we emphasise that the version of the map presented by Fifa during the global broadcast to a multi-million audience is unacceptable.
“It appears as an inconsistent stance by Fifa and Uefa on this crucial issue, especially in light of the ongoing destructive invasion initiated by Russia against Ukraine in the 21st century, in the heart of Europe.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine timeline
VLADIMIR Putin waged a murderous invasion on his neighbouring country in 2022, following years of heated Russo-Ukrainian tensions.
24 February 2022: Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine with an invasion of the eastern territory of Donbas. Explosions were also reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa
25 February 2022: Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky and his team posted a video following rumours they had fled the country.
16 March 2022: Russia blitzed Mariupol’s Drama Theater where around 1,300 civilians were sheltering.
1 September 2022: Russian forces flee the eastern Kharkiv region following a strong Ukrainian counteroffensive.
21 September 2022: Putin announced a controversial partial mobilization to draft soldiers, the country’s first since World War Two.
12 November 2022: The city of Kherson, in the south of Ukraine, was liberated after an eight-month occupation.
21 December 2022: Zelensky travels to Washington D.C. to meet President Joe Biden and address Congress.
25 January 2023: Germany approves sending tanks to Ukraine
20 February 2023: US President Joe Biden makes a surprise visit to Kyiv for the first time since the invasion began.
23 June 2023: Russian mercenaries stage a mutiny attempt with the paramilitary organization Wagner.
24 June 2023: The shortlived Wagner Group march to Moscow and the coup attempt ends.
27 August 2023: Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was confirmed dead in a plane crash.
8 February 2024: Zelensky replaces his top army leader Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
20 April 2024: US House of Representatives approves a huge foreign aid package for Ukraine.
6 August 2024: Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region.
19 November 2024: Ukraine fires several long-range US-supplied missiles into Russia for the first time.
21 November 2024: Putin’s forces fire new ballistic missiles into Ukraine for the first time.
UEFA have made a significant change to the World Cup qualifying draw protocols – and it could spell trouble for England.
New boss Thomas Tuchel could now potentially face multiple Home Nations rivals as he prepares to guide the Three Lions to the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States in 2026.
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Uefa have made significant change to the protocols for the World Cup qualifying draw
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England could technically be drawn against multiple home nations after the change
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The World Cup qualifying draw takes place on December 13
As a result of being fourth in the world rankings, England were placed into Pot 1 with all of the Nations League A quarter-finalists.
Those Nations League quarter-finalists, including Portugal, Germany and France to name a few, were set to placed into a group of four with the play-off teams across Pots 2 – 4.
As Nations League group winners – and having avoided the play-offs – England are likely to be in a five-team group that starts in March.
This means before the rule change, England were to be locked out of playing half of Pot 2 once they were drawn by Pot 1.
But now that’s all changed – and Tuchel‘s side can be drawn against more than one Home Nation rival on December 13.
And while Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland aren’t ranked particularly highly, England will want to avoid any unnecessary derbies.
The tension of the occasion leaves the Three Lions vulnerable to losing points.
But before, there was a higher chance of Wales drawing Austria or Switzerland from Pot 1 as both didn’t have to be in a group of four.
Wales were also effectively blocked from playing the top two seeds in Pot 3, and three of the top five seeds in Pot 4, who all had to be in a group of four.
Previously, Scotland and Republic Ireland had to be in a group of four as a result of their involvement in the Nations League play-offs.
This is no longer set in stone, but the chances of being in a group of five are very low.
This is because after Pot 1 and 2 there might not be any five-team groups left which can contain a Nations League play-off side.
England’s worst-case scenario draw after the change
