England add Gibbs-White to squad for World Cup qualifiers

LONDON : England have added Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White to their squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley, the team said on Sunday.

Gibbs-White has been instrumental in Forest's push to qualify for the Champions League with five goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season.

They are third in the standings.

The absence of the 25-year-old in the initial England squad had fans scratching their heads, especially after Ajax Amsterdam's 34-year-old Jordan Henderson was called up.

Gibbs-White has two caps after making his debut in September while he also won the Under-21 Euros with England in 2023.

He is likely to replace Cole Palmer, who missed Chelsea's defeat at Arsenal on Sunday with his club manager Enzo Maresca saying the midfielder picked up a muscle injury in training.

England begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Albania on Friday and welcome Latvia on March 24.