Manager Thomas Tuchel has had to submit a 55-man list to FIFA, but he is certain to sign three strikers that could pave the way for forgotten man Ivan Toney.
Thomas Tuchel has a lot to think about ahead of the World Cup (Image: Daniel Weir/Sports Press Photo/Shutterstock)
Manager Thomas Tuchel must today submit a longlist of 55 players to take part in the World Cup. And no one should be too surprised if Ivan Toney is the wild card getting on a plane to America this summer.
Toney, 30, has not featured for England since June 2025 and has been away from the public eye since moving to Al Ahly in the Saudi Professional League.
However, England manager Tuchel faces a major dilemma over his attacking line-up and feels he may end up taking as many as three strikers.
Harry Kane is firmly established as first choice. England tried Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke in March, but neither got a chance.
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That could open the door for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who missed the friendlies against Japan and Uruguay and has been in great form since then.
Tottenham striker Solanke will also be sidelined with injury, but Brighton’s Danny Welbeck could play 55 games on a basis that covers a number of players and options.
However, Toney, England’s forgotten man, could be a surprise choice given the fact that he played in the last Euros and scored in the shootout, and while Watkins is the frontrunner, he could be the ‘other’ centre-forward to complement Kane.
It would be naive to think that Tony didn’t fall down the pecking order. He was selected in June last year, but his last appearance was in a friendly against Senegal at the City Ground, coming on as an 88th minute substitute in a 3-1 defeat.
He hasn’t gotten anywhere close since then. But quietly, Toney has scored 40 goals in 46 games for Saudi Arabia, and while it may be difficult to judge, that may have put him back in the frame.
There has been a long-standing debate about how many strikers a team should have. When we had 23 players, we looked at two strikers and the possibility of one of our wide players being versatile.
Ivan Toney could still be drafted into the World Cup squad (Image: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
I’ll be 26 this summer, so I can definitely take three, but what are my options? Liam Delap? No, Calvert-Lewin? Probably not. If Welbeck had been a shout, he would definitely have played in March.
At least Tuchel knows Toney and that’s why the in-form striker, who has played in tournaments and scored penalties without looking, should be considered among the many names that have been floated.
The football association must submit its 55-man longlist to FIFA by 23:59 CET on Monday night.
Longlists are not new, but they are a procedural matter and will not be made public unless the FA chooses to do so. England won’t do that, but the players and the club will have good ideas. They don’t make holiday reservations.
England are expected to announce their squad next week, which must be submitted to FIFA by June 1st, who will announce the final squad on June 2nd.
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