Watkins out of England squad to face Latvia
Ollie Watkins made his England debut in 2021
- Published
World Cup 2026 qualifying: Latvia v England
Venue: Daugava Stadium, Riga Date: Tuesday, 14 October Time: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Listen live on BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live; follow live text commentary, updates and be part of the conversation on BBC Sport website & app
England striker Ollie Watkins will miss the World Cup qualifier in Latvia on Tuesday because of injury.
The 29-year-old was replaced at half-time of the Three Lions' 3-0 win against Wales on Thursday.
Watkins scored his side's second goal at Wembley but collided with the post late in the first half after missing a chance.
England boss Thomas Tuchel said afterwards that the Aston Villa forward was "OK" but the striker has returned to Villa and will miss the trip to Riga.
The Three Lions would qualify for next summer's World Cup with two matches to spare by beating Latvia.
Captain Harry Kane missed the Wales match, but Tuchel said before the game he was "convinced" the Bayern Munich striker would be available in Riga.
The 32-year-old trained alongside his England team-mates at Tottenham's training ground on Monday.
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon moved to a central position in the second half in Watkins' absence at Wembley and could do the same in Riga.
Marcus Rashford is another option. The Manchester United forward is on loan at Barcelona and prefers to play from the left - but has often been deployed from a central position during his career.
He has 18 goals for England - the most after Kane in the current squad.
Watkins made his England debut in 2021 and has scored six goals in 20 appearances.
The forward has struggled at club level this term, netting just once in 10 games.
Villa travel to Tottenham on Saturday, 19 October for their first match after the international break.