Tuchel Drops Foden, Palmer, Maguire From England World Cup Squad

photo credit: Business Day

Thomas Tuchel is set to leave out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire from England’s 26-man squad for this summer’s World Cup.

Maguire confirmed his omission in an emotional Instagram post, saying he was “shocked and gutted” after being left out despite believing he could still contribute significantly to the national team.

The Manchester United defender is expected to miss the tournament alongside fellow defenders Luke Shaw, Levi Colwill and Fikayo Tomori.

Foden and Palmer are also set to be excluded following inconsistent and injury-affected seasons with Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.

Morgan Gibbs-White is another notable absentee despite finishing as the Premier League’s joint highest-scoring English player with 14 goals for Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins is expected to earn a place in the squad after helping Aston Villa win the Europa League, while Ivan Toney is also tipped for selection following an impressive campaign with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.

Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze are all expected to make the final squad, with Kobbie Mainoo also likely to retain his place after strong recent performances.

Despite ongoing fitness concerns, John Stones is reportedly set to be included, with Tuchel viewing the defender as an important part of his plans.

England will play warm-up friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica before opening their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17. The team will also face Ghana and Panama during the group stage.