A lot can change in seven years.The Three Lions are back in action for the first time since the World Cup ended to take on the world champions, Spain.England smashed three past Spain in a 2018 Nations League clash to end their 15-year unbeaten run on home soilGettyOut of the 11 players that started that night, just two – Pickford and Kane – are back in the England squad this monthThe match, at Wembley and is live on talkSPORT, is matchday one of the 2026/27 Nations League A campaign, with Croatia and Czech Republic also featuring in Group 3.The two last met in the Euro 2024 final, however, the previous Nations League match between the two nations, was much better for the Three Lions.In 2018, England beat Spain 3-2 in Seville to hand the world champions their first loss at home for 15 years, while England won in Spain for the first time in 31 years.Gareth Southgate was in charge of the Three Lions for the 2018 clash, and his permanent successor Thomas Tuchel has already revealed his squad for the 29th and next match against Spain.But Jordan Pickford, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane are the only players to have featured in the last such Nations League fixture AND be in the latest squad, with all 11 absentees listed below…Kieran Trippier – 54 caps, 1 goalA Tottenham Hotspur full-back and Champions League runner-up in that season, Trippier started at right-back for England in Seville.The match was his 16th at international level and came after scoring a memorable free kick during the 2-1 2018 World Cup semi-final defeat against Croatia, with a further 38 caps following for the defender.However, Trippier has not played for England since the 2-1 semi-final win over Netherlands at Euro 2024 and now plays for Wolves in the Championship, having joined from Newcastle United in June.Harry Maguire – 66 caps, 7 goalsJust like Trippier, Maguire was an England hero at the 2018 World Cup and named in the starting XI against Spain as a Leicester City star.The centre-back earned an £80million move to Manchester United a year later and made regular appearances for his country, but has not won over Tuchel since his arrival at the beginning of 2025.Maguire helped make history for England in their backline, but will not have the chance to play against Spain this weekendGettyMaguire missed out on World Cup squad this summer, despite being key to United finishing third in the Premier League, and played just two matches under Tuchel during the March international break.Joe Gomez – 15 caps, 0 goalsAn ankle injury sustained in the latter stages of the 2017/18 season for Liverpool meant Gomez missed the subsequent World Cup, but he swiftly returned to centre-back duty for England and faced Spain.He played the full 90 minutes in just his fifth international outing, although additional appearances were few and far between in the following years.Further injury and fitness issues limited his game time and he last played for England in June 2024, with zero minutes being earned at that year’s Euros despite being named in the squad.Ben Chilwell – 21 caps, 1 goalJoining Maguire as one of the Leicester contingent on England duty was Chilwell, who Southgate opted to name at left-back.It was just his second start and third appearance for the Three Lions, as well as the beginning of frequent call-ups right through until he signed for Chelsea in 2020.Chilwell, who joined Crystal Palace this summer, was later part of the Euro 2020 squad but has been absent from squads since he played in friendlies against Brazil and Belgium in March 2024.View Tweet: https://t.co/UH4B8omZo2Eric Dier – 49 caps, 3 goalsThree years on from his England debut, and just weeks after scoring the winning penalty against Colombia in the 2018 World Cup, the versatile Dier was selected to play in defensive midfield against Spain.He was on the books at Spurs but had a fitness-hit season whilst he recovered from surgery as a result of appendicitis and, whilst he did make further international appearances, their regularity decreased.In fact, it’s been nearly four years since Dier last played for England as a substitute against Senegal at the 2022 World Cup, during which time he has represented Spurs, Bayern Munich and AS Monaco.Harry Winks – 10 caps, 1 goalAlso playing in midfield that night was Winks, who earned his second international cap after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury that denied him a 2018 World Cup call-up.The Spurs academy product scored his sole only England goal four matches later, but has been without an outing for his country for just shy of four years.Winks left north London in 2023 for a spell at Leicester, which ended in unceremonious fashion towards the end of last season as he told a fan to ‘f*** off’, before the club were relegated to League One.Winks has now gone six years without an England appearance, with the start against Spain the eighth of his international careerGettySpain can count on Rodri, a Ballon d’Or winner and the World Cup’s best player, to marshal the middleGettyRoss Barkley – 33 caps, 6 goalsHaving dazzled on the hallowed turf at Goodison Park for Everton, an England debut has awarded to Barkley in September 2013, with the 24th of his total 33 caps coming in the match against Spain.The attacking midfielder just started his first full season as a Chelsea player and was a consistent feature of the Three Lions squad.But like many other players listed, it has been years since Barkley last put on an England shirt, with the most recent occasion coming in October 2019 when he scored two goals in a 6-0 win against Bulgaria.Raheem Sterling – 82 caps, 20 goalsMuch of England’s success in the 3-2 victory over Spain came during a dream first half of football, with Sterling scoring in the 16th and 30th minutes to end a three-year wait for international goals.Then at Manchester City, the winger was one of the first names to be selected in Three Lions squads across much of Southgate’s tenure.However, the 2022 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain could be the 82nd and final England appearance for Sterling, who is currently without a club after underwhelming spells at Chelsea and Feyenoord.Marcus Rashford – 78 caps, 19 goalsAs one of the most impressive breakout stars in England and United’s history, Rashford assisted Sterling for the opening goal and netted the third himself with a calm and composed finish against Spain.Sterling scored England’s first and third goals but, now a free agent, he is out of the Three Lions conversationAFPHe would later play at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, but has missed out on an England squad for the first time in six selections.After an excellent loan spell at Barcelona last season, he is yet to score or assist for a struggling United side this time round and was part of Tuchel’s plans, but has withdrawn amid an ‘injury issue’.Kyle Walker – 96 caps, 1 goalEngland’s first substitute during the triumph against Spain was City right-back Walker, who replaced Barkley with 15 minutes left to play.Out of all the players to miss the latest squad, he has won the most caps for his country with a whopping 96, which ranks 11th highest in the all-time list.Walker, now at Championship side Burnley, last played international football in June 2025 before retiring in March, and joined talkSPORT for our coverage of the 2026 World Cup.Nathaniel Chalobah – 1 cap, 0 goalsThe Nations League success from seven years ago will hold a special place in the heart of Chalobah as he was a late substitute in his one and only England outing.Brother of Trevoh, who is in the latest squad having made a strong start to life at Como after his move from boyhood club Chelsea, the midfielder was a Watford player at the time of his appearance.Chalobah earned two separate call-ups with England and, after stints with Fulham, West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday, plays his football for Charlton Athletic in the Championship.Chalobah played his first and final match for England in the win against Spain as he came on during stoppage timeGettyAlexander-Arnold was also a substitute for England against Spain, but the Real Madrid star has been named in a squad for just the second time under Tuchel.He sits on 34 international caps, the last of which came in June 2025.