Friday will see Thomas Tuchel name his first England squad since the World Cup, and the decisions come with real significance. Sixty-five days after England’s semi-final loss to Argentina, the manager must answer for who comes back, who earns their first call-up, and how he lines them up.
After beating France 4-6 in the bronze-medal match, England departed the United States carrying a lengthy inventory of missed chances. The nation’s team now faces a demanding run of fixtures: four matches across 11 days during the expanded international schedule.
The Provisional List
Tuchel has put forward a provisional list of players, and from that group he will settle on his final selection. The names include Rio Ngumoha, Lewis Hall, Alex Scott, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jarrad Branthwaite, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden.
Ngumoha, 18, impressed in a second-half cameo during a warm-up game against New Zealand. He is yet to be picked in a full senior England squad, though he is in with a chance of selection for the forthcoming games against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia.
England entered the tournament without a natural left-back, which is why Hall’s World Cup omission raised eyebrows. The full squad will be revealed on Friday.
Who Is Out
Injury is the reason Tuchel is expected to leave Jordan Henderson, Dean Henderson and John Stones out of the lineup.
The Striker Question
Among the biggest questions is who plays behind Harry Kane. In the World Cup, Tuchel made no changes there. Kane began all seven of England’s games up to the semi-final and came off the pitch just twice — both times late in the match when the result was already decided.
Ivan Toney played instead of Kane in the bronze-medal match, where England beat France 4–6, though Toney failed to find the net. He is now unavailable for this international break, having been charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. His court appearance is scheduled for later this month, at which point the charge will still be pending.
England’s forward picture has changed shape since Ollie Watkins shocked everyone by moving to Saudi Arabia over the summer, which now casts doubt on his place with the national side. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, is enjoying a run of form that has seen him score four goals in four appearances for Leeds United.
Nottingham Forest forward Liam Delap is getting better with the club, though he remains without a senior cap for England. His first goal for Forest came last weekend, in the win at Aston Villa.
What Happened After Atlanta
Following the semi-final in Atlanta, Tuchel and his players admitted to being too passive. It will be telling to hear what conclusions Tuchel draws at the squad announcement about why that was the case, and how they allowed Argentina to take control of the match from 1-0 down with just over half an hour remaining.
The Matches Ahead
The upcoming fixtures see England host Spain at Wembley before facing the Czech Republic and Croatia. Those games will serve as preparation for the next Euros in 2028, where England would be meeting teams like these at Wembley if qualification is secured.
| Match | Opponent |
|---|---|
| First | Spain |
| Second | Czech Republic |
| Third | Croatia |
What We Know About the Mood
England’s spirits were at a peak during the World Cup, as shown by their superb triumph against Mexico in the last 16, where they fielded 10 players. Yet the crushing semi-final loss to Argentina, along with doubts about how England handled the match when a 1-0 advantage turned into a 2-1 reverse late on, prompted some kind of soul-searching within the squad.
A Moment for Recall
A recall is on its way for Cole Palmer, who has worked his way back to the top of the list. He appears to have found the kind of play that had deserted him during the previous campaign, when his failure to make the World Cup squad became clear.
The Big Picture
Happy or not, that’s what they’ve got. But this has to be better than another group of qualifiers such as the one they had for the World Cup, against teams way below them in the world rankings.
Those autumn matches saw England produce some of their best football under Tuchel to date. The quality of play helped set patterns and build confidence, yet it was not enough to prove anything. You never truly know how good a team is until it faces the very best.
The matches ahead offer a chance to secure a trophy, which would serve as the finest means for Tuchel and his squad to build upon their third-place finish at the World Cup.
A trophy is on offer for England, and it could finally answer the questions that have followed them since July. Whether they seize it remains to be seen.
Source material: “The big questions for Tuchel's first England squad since World Cup,” the BBC.
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