Thomas Tuchel will make his final checks and decisions on Friday morning before naming England’s World Cup squad, with Harry Maguire among the players still fighting for a place. The England manager is due to announce a 26-man group at around 10am before facing the media at an 11am press conference.
Jude Bellingham is expected to be on the plane, along with Morgan Rogers, while Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White are competing for one of the remaining attacking spots. Tuchel is also weighing whether Trent Alexander-Arnold can benefit from Ben White’s injury, after admitting in November that Alexander-Arnold was behind Jarell Quansah in the pecking order.
There are still fitness questions in defence and midfield that are shaping the final call. Tuchel needs reassurance over Tino Livramento, who has been out for a month with a thigh injury, while he is checking on Levi Colwill after the defender’s promising return to action. Colwill had surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury in August and has made three appearances since coming back this month. John Stones’ lack of game time at Manchester City is another consideration, even though Tuchel said in March that Stones had “a lot of credit in the bank”.
Dan Burn looks set to be included, alongside Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa, but the defensive picture is not settled. Maguire is facing a battle to make the squad, as is Trevoh Chalobah, while Luke Shaw has been ignored since Tuchel took charge despite starting every Premier League match this season.
Tuchel’s plans up front are also close to set. Ollie Watkins is expected to be recalled after being dropped in March, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke were tried as cover for captain Harry Kane. Danny Welbeck, now 35, has not played for England since 2018.
It is Tuchel’s first tournament squad selection since succeeding Sir Gareth Southgate, and it comes with England carrying the weight of back-to-back European Championship runner-up finishes and the tag of one of the favourites to win the World Cup in North America. The wider picture explains why the final places matter so much: several positions remain unsettled because of injuries, fitness problems and form concerns, and Tuchel has spoken about the “brotherhood” he wants to build around the group.
That leaves Friday’s announcement with little room for sentiment. The names confirmed at 10am will show which players Tuchel trusts to carry England into the tournament, and which familiar faces, including Maguire, are left waiting on the edge of the squad.
