England boss Thomas Tuchel is preparing to name an eye-catching World Cup squad on Friday, with Phil Foden and Cole Palmer seemingly set to miss the tournament along with “shocked and gutted” Harry Maguire.
The German coach will confirm his 26-strong group for this summer’s shot at glory in North America at around 10am (0900 GMT) and made calls to a variety of players the previous day.
Foden and Palmer are widely reported to be among those missing out due to below-par seasons and England’s competition in attacking midfield, with in-form Morgan Gibbs-White another said to be left out.
Those developments were among those that dropped steadily from late Thursday afternoon into the evening – a far cry from recent tournament selections under Sir Gareth Southgate.
Quite what will be left to confirm remains to be seen, with Maguire taking to social media to express annoyance at being left out having earned a first call-up under Tuchel in March and played both friendlies.
“I was confident I could of (sic) played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had,” the experienced defender posted on Instagram.
“I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision.”
“I’ve loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer.”
Manchester United team-mate Luke Shaw is another to miss out on the World Cup, but Tuchel has overlooked him ever since taking charge.
There is apparently better news for Kobbie Mainoo, who is expected to be included along with the likes of Noni Madueke, Ollie Watkins and, most surprisingly, Ivan Toney.
Watkins has been in outstanding form for Aston Villa since missing out on March’s meet-up, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke were trialled as Harry Kane’s back-ups.
Al-Ahli striker Toney has made one late substitute appearance under Tuchel and not been selected since that camp last June.
The decisions have been met by surprise and no little intrigue from outsiders and those inside the game, but questions still remain over certain areas.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a high-profile absentee and could benefit from Ben White’s season-ending injury, although Tuchel said in November that the Real Madrid right-back was behind Jarell Quansah.
The England boss has sought reassurance over the fitness of Tino Livramento, who has been out for a month with a thigh injury. Newcastle team-mate Lewis Hall is reportedly not in the squad.
Tuchel has checked on Levi Colwill’s progress following his promising return to action this month having undergone surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury in August.
It could prove too much too soon for the Chelsea defender, while John Stones will be hoping for positive news as Tuchel said he had “a lot of credit in the bank” despite his limited game time at club level.
Dan Burn looks set to be included along with Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa, while Trevoh Chalobah has been fighting for a spot.
The Football Association has to submit a 26-man squad to FIFA on May 31 but can make changes to outfield players for medical reasons up until 24 hours before the Group L opener against Croatia on June 17.
Only goalkeepers can be changed after this point. Brighton’s Jason Steele is set to travel as a training goalkeeper – a role filled by Tom Heaton at Euro 2024.
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