Tuchel's ruthless England squad leaves Foden, Palmer and Alexander-Arnold at home for the World Cup
England's World Cup squad is settled, and it is the names left out that will keep the phone-ins busy. Thomas Tuchel named his 26 on 22 May, and when the group reports to camp in Florida on 1 June there will be no Phil Foden, no Cole Palmer and no Trent Alexander-Arnold among them. The tournament gets under way across the United States, Canada and Mexico on 11 June, with England opening their Group L campaign against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June.
The big names watching at home
Foden and Palmer are the headline omissions, two of the most naturally gifted attacking players in the Premier League left to watch the tournament on television. Alexander-Arnold misses out too. In defence, Tuchel went with Jarell Quansah ahead of Harry Maguire, who said he was shocked and gutted to be left out after featuring at the last two World Cups.
None of those calls is obviously wrong on its own. Stacked together, they tell you Tuchel has picked the players he trusts in his system over the bigger reputations, and he will be judged on whether that nerve was justified.
Who Tuchel did pick
Harry Kane captains the side. Ivan Toney is back in an England squad for the first time since last summer despite his move to the Saudi Pro League, and the veteran Jordan Henderson has forced his way back into the conversation as well. Up front Tuchel can call on Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins, with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze running midfield.
The bigger risk sits in defence, where Tuchel has backed full-backs short of regular football. Reece James, Djed Spence and Tino Livramento have all spent chunks of the season on the treatment table, and England will need them fit and sharp quickly.
What happens next
The squad gathers at a training base in Florida from 1 June before England settle into their tournament home in Kansas City. There are warm-up matches to come, and a fortnight for Tuchel to turn 26 individuals into a side. The argument over who is not there will not quiet down until the team that is there starts winning.
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