Cole Palmer’s inclusion in England’s World Cup squad is far from certain (Image: Getty)
Manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday named his 26-man England squad for this summer’s World Cup. The German head coach will have to make some difficult decisions when choosing the group that can end 60 years of hurt and bring the iconic trophy back to England’s shores.
England face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in the American group, but their nightmarish route to the final could see them face Brazil, Argentina and Spain as they seek to win their first World Cup since 1966. As the nation dreams of a return to football, Express Sport introduces players Tuchel should not invite on a transatlantic flight…
Jack McEachen – Foden, Gibbs-White, Eze, Calvert-Lewin
Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White and Ebelesi Eze were all victims of the wealth of options that manager Thomas Tuchel had to choose from. There is no doubt that Jude Bellingham has been a shot-in next to Harry Kane and Morgan Rodgers, who have been in form for both club and country in recent months. Then there’s Cole Palmer, who can produce magical flashes as he did in the Euro final just two years ago.
Unfortunately, if you want to add a wider threat like Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford or Jarrod Bowen, there’s no room for these mercurial No. 10s. And, as reported elsewhere, if Tuchel were to use three strikers in total, he would choose penalty specialist Ivan Toney over Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Leeds man has impressed so far. It’s unlikely that either of them will play significant minutes, so why not have a reliable player participate in penalty shootouts?
Amos Murphy – Foden, Palmer, Calvert-Lewin, Solanke
With the announcement of the England squad just around the corner, time for talking is drawing to a close. It has been a disappointing season for several of England’s heavy hitters, including Phil Foden and Cole Palmer. Neither should be included in this summer’s tournament squad, especially if it comes at the expense of Morgan Gibbs-White.
Contrary to popular opinion, Tuchel would be foolish to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold at home. The former Liverpool ace is one of England’s best passers, despite his defensive weaknesses, and that trait could come in handy in the final stages of a close final, for example. The same cannot be said for Dominic Calvert-Lewin or his namesake Dominic Solanke, neither of whom have performed well enough to fly this season.
Phil Foden and Cole Palmer both likely to miss out on the squad (Image: Getty)
Eberechi Eze is also a big name who could miss out. (Image: Getty)
Charlie Mallam – Palmer, Byrne, Eze, Spence
Cole Palmer has not scored in an England shirt since Euro 2024. His form over the past 18 months at Chelsea has been decidedly average. He has scored four non-penalty goals this season. he misses. Phil Foden has recently shown more potential to join my team than Cole Palmer.
Defensively, Dan Byrne seems to be popular with Thomas Tuchel, but in my opinion he is not at the level he needs to be. And the solid Jed Spence missed his chance as well. Trent Alexander-Arnold absolutely has to go. What a weapon his passing will be coming off the bench against a tired defense. Unless Tottenham are drafted into the World Cup instead of Iran, Eberechi Eze should also stay at home – even though he is currently the Premier League champion.
Archie Griggs – Foden, Palmer, Byrne
Phil Foden has been a shoot-in for England in recent tournaments, but it is difficult to make a convincing case for him to feature this time. Based on the club’s form, Morgan Rodgers and Morgan Gibbs-White should be prioritized, but Cole Palmer could also be sidelined for the same reason.
Dan Byrne shouldn’t be overlooked either, as England simply have better options at left-back and centre-half, but Trent Alexander-Arnold is a different story. Under normal circumstances, he would probably have stayed at home, but injuries to Ben White and Tino Livramento have opened the door for him to return to the team.
