Manager Thomas Tuchel is set to name his England squad for March’s international games on Friday, giving us a final glimpse of a number of star players before selection for the World Cup.
Michael Carrick has given his verdict on many players’ World Cup hopes (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick believes Red Devils trio Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Koby Mainu have been forced into the World Cup. Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel will keep only two teams named ahead of this summer’s tournaments in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
He will name his squad for this month’s international break later this week, but will then turn his focus to World Cup preparations.
Firmly in contention are Maguire, Mainoo and Shaw, all three of whom shone under Carrick at Old Trafford. And the United manager has backed all three to secure a place in Tuchel’s next team, as well as a place at the World Cup itself.
“No, I haven’t contacted them. For the boys, I’d like to see them selected for this tournament and of course I’d like to see them selected in the summer,” he said.
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“I don’t have any influence on that, but certainly the way the players are playing, I think they’re putting themselves right in the conversation and in the big picture and giving themselves a chance.
“So, we’ll see. I literally don’t know any more about this than you do, but I’m sure the guys are playing well enough to definitely qualify. It’s not my decision, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
Carrick was not alone in predicting Shaw would be recalled to the England squad. Former Three Lions star Stuart Pearce also believes the defender could be Tuchel’s first-choice left-back at the World Cup.
Carrick backs Shaw and Maguire’s World Cup calls (Image: Getty Images)
He told The Sun newspaper: “The full-back position is the most difficult position to call up. If Manchester United are to continue to make the progress they are currently on, we have to talk about Luke Shaw.”
“He has tournament experience. We missed him when he was away from the England side. He’s a rounded left-back. He’s a left-back.”
“Moreover, if you compare him to other players around him, there probably wasn’t anyone who really nailed his colors in terms of playing there.
“We’ve got Tino Libramento, we’ve got Miles Lewis-Skelly and Nico O’Reilly. There’s a lot of players who are good options. But if Luke Shaw can get back to the form that we know he has, I’m sure he can be our number one left-back.”
Shaw, 30, has 34 caps for England, while Maguire has 64 caps for his country. Mainu, on the other hand, has made 10 appearances for the Three Lions at the age of 20.
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