England squad announced ahead of World Cup Qualifiers: Trent dropped and surprise comebacks

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·29 August 2025

England squad announced ahead of World Cup Qualifiers: Trent dropped and surprise comebacks

Thomas Tuchel has named his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in September, with some high-profile omissions and a handful of surprise call-ups.

One of the biggest shocks comes with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s absence. The right-back, who made a high-profile switch from Liverpool to Real Madrid this summer, has been left out after a difficult start to life in Spain.

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The 25-year-old has struggled to settle at the Bernabéu, losing his place to Dani Carvajal in recent weeks and failing to recapture his best form in an England shirt.

Also missing from the squad are experienced names Kyle Walker, Conor Gallagher, and Ivan Toney. The trio featured in England’s June camp, which included a narrow 1-0 victory over Andorra before a shock home defeat to Senegal, but Tuchel has opted against recalling them this time. Phil Foden, Harry Maguire, and Jack Grealish are also notable omissions.

England will be without several of their brightest young talents through injury, including Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Levi Colwill. Their absence leaves a gap in creativity and dynamism that Tuchel will hope his new inclusions can help fill.

Among the surprise selections is former Newcastle United academy graduate and current Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, who has impressed with a string of standout performances in the Premier League.

Another fresh face is Tino Livramento, Newcastle’s right-back, who has been rewarded for his consistent defensive displays despite Forest’s recent 3-2 defeat to Liverpool.

There are also returns for familiar names. Marc Guéhi, John Stones, Jarrod Bowen, and Ollie Watkins are all back in the fold, while Dan Burn keeps his place after a strong showing in the June camp.

Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon, who struggled for minutes in the last international window, is expected to play a bigger role this time around.

This new squad reshuffling looks a lot more promising, and although Tuchel has had a relatively slow start as England boss, his track record shows he is capable of trophy winning abilities. The upcoming matches will put that expertise to the test.