England sweating on three stars and may be forced into calling up replacement

Thomas Tuchel is facing an injury crisis that could throw a spanner in the works for his World Cup preparations. Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon is a significant doubt and may have to pull out when the England squad convenes on Tuesday for back-to-back matches against Serbia and Albania.

Gordon was absent from Newcastle's loss at Brentford on Sunday, and it's unlikely that Tuchel will bring in a substitute for the final two qualifiers, given England's secured spot in next summer's tournament in the United States. The squad already boasts an abundance of wide options.

His Newcastle colleague, goalkeeper Nick Pope, also suffered an injury on Sunday, and his absence would be a massive setback as this gathering could have paved his way back into the England fold.

Tuchel would need to summon another goalkeeper for Thursday's match against Serbia and the journey to Albania the following Sunday.

James Trafford of Manchester City missed out on this squad due to limited game time, which provided Pope with his opportunity. Tuchel views this camp as a golden opportunity for players to stake their claim for a place in the World Cup squad.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is set to miss out this time as he has been left sporting a protective surgical boot after sustaining a foot injury in his team's UEFA Conference League match against AZ Alkmaar. However, Guehi is expected to make a comeback for Palace following the international break.

Despite being fit again, Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah was not included in the original squad, but he could be a potential option as he is a favourite of Tuchel from their time together at Stamford Bridge.

Chalobah made his England debut against Senegal in June but has since struggled with fitness and game time.

Tuchel expressed his desire to explore different players in this squad, which led to Bournemouth's Alex Scott receiving his first senior call-up.

Tuchel also emphasised the importance of maintaining high competition levels, as these are the last two competitive matches before he announces his squad for next summer's World Cup.

Gordon has shown impressive form in recent games, including the 5-0 victory over Latvia last month, despite his inconsistent performance for Newcastle.

However, Marcus Rashford might have an opportunity to prove his worth after Tuchel challenged him last month to translate his training performances into match situations to demonstrate his world-class abilities.