Thomas Tuchel names his final England squad before the World Cup on Friday morning. And there are still so many players’ fates up in the air.
Most of Tuchel’s first-choice lineup for the opening game World Cup game against Croatia on 17th June seems set in stone — injury aside. Jordan Pickford, Reece James, Marc Guehi, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane are shoo-ins.
However, there are plenty of dilemmas elsewhere for Tuchel to work through ahead of the summer.
We’ll get a better idea of Tuchel’s thinking with his selections for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
Five questions for Thomas Tuchel:
Will Kobbie Mainoo be selected?
Kobbie Mainoo is one of several Manchester United players back in England contention after their upturn in form under Michael Carrick.
For Mainoo, it’s not even that Man Utd have been winning. It’s simply because he’s been playing. The midfielder did not start a single Premier League this season while Ruben Amorim was in charge. He’s started all nine since Carrick’s arrival.
Mainoo isn’t 21 until next month, but already has serious big-game experience for both club and country. He was goalscorer and Man of the Match in the 2024 FA Cup final, weeks before starting in the Euro 2024 final.
He hasn’t played for his country since. But with his current form and the fact England are not exactly blessed with midfield depth, it feels like Tuchel will select Mainoo two years on from his debut.
Will Harry Maguire make a return after two years out?
Harry Maguire last played for England in friendlies in March 2024, whicih injuries ruling him out of the Euros that summer.
He is another Man Utd player in form at the right moment for selection. And, like Mainoo, Maguire is competing in an area of relative weakness for England.
With John Stones barely back from injury, and Dan Burn unlikely to feature in a tournament match, Maguire could be primed to return to the squad an challenge Ezri Konsa for his spot.
He should add to his 64 caps both this month and in the summer.
Is Foden both out of form and out of the fold?
On the other side of Manchester, it’s a totally different story with Phil Foden. The Manchester City man is at major risk of missing out on selection.
The 2024 PFA Player of the Year hasn’t scored since mid-December and didn’t get off the bench in either leg of Man City’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
It is a damning indictment of where his form currently is. And Foden doesn’t have the relationship with Tuchel that he has with father figure Pep Guardiola.
Unlike defence and central midfield, the Three Lions almost have too many options in attacking positions. With Eberechi Eze bang in form and the likes of Jude Bellingham (if fit), Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers all set to be selected, Foden could be the fall guy.
It would mark a torrid 18 months for him and leave him sweating on his World Cup dream.
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A veteran forward to make a remarkable comeback?
While Harry Kane is the biggest shoo-in in the team, who plays the role of his understudy is less certain.
Jarrod Bowen’s form should see him called up on Friday. But while both he and Marcus Rashford can play up top, neither are true strikers.
Ollie Watkins is out of sorts, Dominic Solanke is injured too often and Ivan Toney is seemingly out of the picture in Saudi Arabia. That could lead to an iconic return to the fold for either Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Danny Welbeck.
The two strikers are the joint-top scoring English players in the Premier League this season with 10 goals apiece. It is their highest returns in years.
Calvert-Lewin has returned to life at Leeds and is eyeing up a first call-up since Euro 2021, stating he “knows the role” of backup well.
As does Welbeck, who hasn’t played for England since the 2018 World Cup but has a brilliant record for his country. Of active English players, only Kane and Rashford have scored more than his 16.
| Current player | England goals |
|---|---|
| Harry Kane | 78 |
| Marcus Rashford | 18 |
| Danny Welbeck | 16 |
| Bukayo Saka | 14 |
| Harry Maguire | 7 |
Selection for the Brighton veteran would be the longest period between call-ups since Ian Callaghan in 1977. Either way for either man, it would be a remarkable comeback story.
Who’s in at full back with James out?
In a real concern for both Tuchel and Reece James, the right-back is out of the March friendlies with his latest hamstring injury.
Like at Chelsea, James has been a key man for the German and is a lock to start in the summer if fit. But his absence does provide others with much-needed opportunities. Most notably Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Real Madrid star has only played under Tuchel once having been left out of recent squads due to form and injury.
In his best run of games and form since his summer move from Liverpool, the friendlies could be the perfect chance to impress the England manager.
Tino Livramento is another who could benefit from both James’ absence and own injury return. The Newcastle full-back has been a favourite of Tuchel and, perhaps crucially, can play on both sides of a back four. As can Djed Spence.
On the left-hand side, it’s still unclear who is first-choice with six players tried out in 10 games.
Lewis Hall hasn’t played under Tuchel but will surely get the nod this time given his fine form. Nico O’Reilly was selected for the first time in November and his versatility is a real bonus.
Luke Shaw hasn’t featured since the Euro 2024 final but has started all 30 league games this season and is another who could profit off Man Utd’s return to form.
Who might it be? We’ll soon find out as England’s World Cup squad starts to take shape.