Newcastle United forward Harvey Barnes is set for a return to the England national team as a replacement for Eberechi Eze, who was forced to withdraw through injury.
Eze had originally been included in Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man squad for this month’s friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, but a calf problem has now ruled him out.
The injury also forced him to watch Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in Sunday’s EFL Cup from the stands, ending the Gunners’ hopes of winning the quadruple.
According to BBC Sport, Barnes is now in line to replace him, marking his first call-up since 2020. The Newcastle United winger made his senior debut for England in October that year, coming on for 17 minutes in a 3-0 friendly win over Wales.
Since then, Barnes has had to wait patiently for another opportunity, despite previously being eligible to represent Scotland.
He turned down the chance to switch allegiance even when Scotland qualified for the World Cup, opting to wait for another invitation from England.
The 28-year-old has now earned a recall to the Three Lions setup, thanks to an impressive season with Newcastle United, where he has scored 14 goals and provided five assists across all competitions.
England are set to face Uruguay on March 27 and Japan on March 31 at Wembley Stadium, giving Barnes a chance to impress Tuchel and push for a place in the highly-competitive squad ahead of the upcoming World Cup, potentially marking his first major tournament with the country.
