England finished their pre-World Cup “Send-Off Series” with a defeat by Japan at Wembley. Head coach Thomas Tuchel named a split 35-man squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan to assess his wider options and must cut that down to 26 ahead of England’s opening World Cup game against Croatia on 17 June in Arlington, Texas. Here is my 26-man squad and the reasoning behind key calls.
GOALKEEPERS: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford.
DEFENDERS: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Tino Livramento, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Nico O’Reilly, Lewis Hall.
MIDFIELD: Jude Bellingham, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo.
FORWARDS: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer, Danny Welbeck, Jarrod Bowen.
Key points and selections
– Harry Maguire appears to be fighting for his place after Tuchel hinted that Stones, Guehi, Konsa and Trevoh Chalobah might be ahead of him. That should not be the case. Stones, Guehi and Konsa have been established, but Maguire’s experience, resilience and past tournament pedigree make him a sensible pick as experienced cover and occasional attacking threat. He edges out Newcastle’s Dan Burn, who has struggled in his England appearances.
– Adam Wharton remains a question mark for Tuchel given his languid style, but his class—especially his passing range—earns him a spot here. Lewis Hall, a natural left-back, showed quality in a lively cameo against Japan and adds versatility.
– Tuchel is likely to select the veteran leadership of Jordan Henderson (36 on the day of the first game) for dressing-room influence, but I prefer the younger Kobbie Mainoo, who has been revitalised under Michael Carrick at Manchester United. Mainoo was not at his best against Japan, but his potential and recent form justify inclusion over an additional older head if only one experienced influence is needed—Maguire fills that experienced-backup role in defence.
– Cole Palmer, who scored in the Euro 2024 final, offers mercurial talent and a potential X-factor, plus penalty-taking ability, which gets him in ahead of Phil Foden. Foden’s season lost momentum at club level and he struggled in starts against Uruguay and Japan; the false-nine experiment against Japan was short-lived and does not suit him. Palmer’s game-changing quality and set-piece skill push him into the squad.
– James Garner was considered as a late bolter after an accomplished England debut; Tuchel admires him but has many options in midfield and full-back roles.
The striker dilemma
– Harry Kane is indisputably England’s main striker with 78 goals in 112 appearances. The key concern is the drop-off if Kane is injured: Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin failed to impress in the friendlies, and Ollie Watkins was not in the 35-man list. Using Foden as a central striking understudy looks unlikely after the Japan experiment.
– As a short-term solution, I pick Danny Welbeck. He has not played for England since September 2018 but is high in the Premier League scoring charts this season and brings experience, ability and strong character. Welbeck was always popular within England squads and could provide dependable cover for Kane.
Fringe names still in contention
Djed Spence, Dan Burn, Luke Shaw, Fikayo Tomori, Jarell Quansah, Jordan Henderson, James Garner, Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ben White.
Some of these players—particularly Dan Burn and Jordan Henderson—remain realistic contenders for Tuchel’s final 26, while others would likely need injuries or a late surge in form to force their way in.
Tuchel will digest the friendlies and make his final decisions, but the balance of experience, form, versatility and a need for reliable cover—especially behind Harry Kane—dominate the selection dilemmas.
