England national football team have added Ben White and Harvey Barnes to their squad for the international break.

The Three Lions will face Uruguay national football team and Japan national football team in their final friendlies before this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, as manager Thomas Tuchel continues to assess his options for the tournament squad.

Tuchel initially named a 35-man group last week, a larger-than-expected selection that indicated he is still evaluating players ahead of the final squad decision.

However, injuries to Eberechi Eze and Jarell Quansah forced changes, opening the door for White and Barnes to be brought into the team.

England national football team have confirmed the additions of Ben White and Harvey Barnes to their squad ahead of the upcoming international break.

White returns to the England setup for the first time since 2022, while Barnes has only one senior cap to his name, which came back in October 2020.

In an official statement, the Football Association said: “Newcastle United’s Harvey Barnes and Arsenal’s Ben White have been added to the England squad. The pair replace Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah, who are ruled out of the Three Lions’ March internationals through injury. Barnes made his only appearance for the senior team in October 2020, while White has four caps to his name.”

Barnes had previously been linked with a potential switch of international allegiance to Scotland national football team, but his inclusion suggests a continued commitment to England ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

The decision will be welcomed by manager Thomas Tuchel, as he continues to finalise his squad plans for the tournament.