Thomas Tuchel's decision to leave Everton's James Garner out of England's World Cup squad is under scrutiny after injuries to right-backs Reece James and Tino Livramento have left the team short in that position. James Garner, who made his senior debut for England in March, was hailed as a "mini Valverde" by Tuchel but was surprisingly omitted from the final 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Injury Crisis at Right-Back
Tuchel named James and Livramento as his right-back options for the tournament, but both are injury-prone. Livramento withdrew before the tournament began, and James suffered a hamstring injury that is likely to rule him out unless England reach the latter stages. To cover, Tuchel called up Trevoh Chalobah, a centre-back, rather than a specialist right-back.
"No-one could see that (James injury) coming. Reece was in good shape," Tuchel said ahead of the match against Panama. However, given James' history of injuries, the oversight has been criticized.
Garner's Versatility Overlooked
Garner, who can play as a midfielder or full-back, was Everton's Player of the Season and impressed Tuchel during a friendly against Uruguay. "I am very happy, he is our mini Valverde. He is getting there and he played very, very good," Tuchel said after that match. Despite this, Garner was left out, with Tuchel opting for other options.
With first-choice midfielders Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson nursing minor issues, Garner's versatility could have been invaluable. Instead, Tuchel is relying on Djed Spence, Jarell Quansah, John Stones, or Ezri Konsa to fill the right-back role.
Alexander-Arnold Also Overlooked
The situation has also reignited debate over Trent Alexander-Arnold's exclusion. Despite his technical ability, Tuchel has questioned his defensive capabilities. "The thinking of calling Chalobah is to free up Quansah on the right full-back position for us," Tuchel explained. "Konsa played in that right-back position as well for us on a high level."
With England's World Cup campaign underway, Tuchel's squad selection is already facing its first major test.
