Thomas Tuchel has made a series of shock selections for England's World Cup squad, omitting Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire while recalling Ivan Toney. The 26-man party will be announced on Friday, with Tuchel spending Thursday evening informing players of their fate.
Maguire, who has 66 caps, expressed his shock and disappointment on social media after being left out despite a strong season. His mother also criticised the decision online. Tuchel is expected to rely on Marc Guéhi, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah and John Stones as centre-backs, with no place for Levi Colwill or Trevoh Chalobah.
In attack, Foden and Palmer have been dropped due to underwhelming seasons for Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. The No 10 spots will go to Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers, while Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke are favoured on the right, and Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon on the left.
Toney, now playing for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, earns a recall after a 12-month absence from the international scene. He will join Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins as the three strikers in the squad, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke and Danny Welbeck missing out.
Other notable omissions include Luke Shaw, Adam Wharton and Lewis Hall, while Tino Livramento and Djed Spence are included despite injury concerns. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has not been picked since last June, was reportedly considered but ultimately left out.
