Surprise names in form-based England squad among six new call-ups | OneFootball

Our England squad based on grades so far this season sees seven players recalled and six new call-ups including an unfamiliar forward in France…

Thomas Tuchel names his squad on Friday morning for four Nations League games against Spain (September 26), Czech Republic (September 29, October 6) and Croatia (October 3).

Changes are expected after the World Cup, but if Tuchel is looking for form players, he might have to consider some old faces and new names.

We’ve picked a 26-man England squad based on Gradient Sports’ player grades throughout the season so far.

Across a vast range of metrics, Gradient grades every player out of 100, measuring execution and outcome of the most important skills and facets for each position group. More on that process here.

Here are is the England squad featuring the highest-graded players…

Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace) – 76.0 The highest-graded English goalkeeper has been the fifth-best in the Premier League so far this season.

Jordan Pickford (Everton) – 67.7 England’s number one is just nine short of a century of caps. But still so many aren’t having him.

James Trafford (Leeds United) – 61.1 Belatedly in a position to challenge Pickford having signed for the third-happiest club in the land – but only the second-happiest in Yorkshire.

Marc Guehi (Manchester City) – 88.6 Europe’s highest-graded defender now he’s back in the heart of City’s back four after starting the season in midfield. That was weird.

Harry Maguire (Manchester United) – 84.8 Maguire could be in Ballon d’Or form but we still doubt Tuchel would overlook the way he saw his arse after being left out of the World Cup squad.

Reece James (Chelsea) – 82.6 James has played in central midfield during his three starts for the Chelsea this term but Tuchel needs him at right-back.

Lewis Hall (Newcastle) – 82.2 In the Premier League team of the season so far, Hall showed this season why Manchester United want him and why Tuchel was wrong to leave him at home during the World Cup.

Eric Dier (Monaco) – 80.4 The 32-year-old is the highest-graded defender in France but has been left hanging one cap short of the half-century after his last England appearance at the 2022 World Cup.

Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton) – 79.1 After a very fine start to the season at Everton, the only reason Branthwaite would not be in the squad is a need to manage his minutes after an injury-hit season in 2025/26 and a summer spent rehabbing in Germany.

Trevoh Chalobah (Como) – 77.8 We know Tuchel appreciates Chalobah for his versatility and for answering his late call-up for the World Cup. Since moving to Como, he’s started three Serie A games and their first-ever Champions League tie in an unbeaten start to the season by the lake under Cesc Fabregas.

Lewis Dunk (Brighton) – 77.2 Ripping Coventry’s net from 30 yards helps the cause of a defender who, we assume, would be highest-graded in the world for chest-backs to the goalkeeper if Gradient recorded such metrics. It might be the only one they don’t.

Bobby Thomas (Coventry) – 76.9  The Coventry centre-back was in the worst XI of the weekend last week but that was a blip for the 15th-highest graded defender in the Premier League. The 25-year-old is also the third-highest graded among 132 defenders for aerial duels.

Elliot Anderson (Manchester City) – 89.8 The City new boy is the sixth-highest graded player across Europe’s top-five leagues.

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) – 89.5 The England star is the third-highest graded player in La Liga this season, behind Racing Santander winger Inigo Vicente and a young unknown by the name of Lamine Yamal.

Declan Rice (Arsenal) – 84.3 The Arsenal star is off to a slightly slower start after finishing last season as the Premier League’s second-highest graded midfielder (88.0)

Josh King (Fulham) – 84.1 The teenager has been outstanding in a struggling Fulham team, with the fifth-highest grade of all 102 Premier League midfielders.

Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United) – 81.0 Is there any point if Tuchel is going to ignore him again?

Tyler Morton (Lyon) – 79.3 The ex-Liverpool youngster has consistently been one of the best passers in Ligue 1, with the sixth-highest passing grade among midfielders in France last season and the fifth-highest so far this term.

Ross Barkley (Aston Villa) – 78.4 It has been over six years since Barkley last played for England but the 32-year-old has been an ever-present for Villa this season.

FORWARDS

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – 87.8 A decent grade for a player who has been ‘getting away with a bit of murder’.

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) – 80.7 Rashford is the third-highest graded player at Manchester United this season as he tries to put his Barcelona snub behind him.

Anthony Gordon (Barcelona) – 78.7 Eventually won the battle over Rashford for the starting spot on England’s left wing having already taken his Barca place. And Gordon has made a very decent start at the Nou Camp.

Samuel Amo-Ameyaw (Strasbourg)- 78.5 The 20-year-old Hackney-born winger was once the youngest player to play in the Premier League for Southampton but, these days, he is catching the eye in Ligue 1, where he is graded in the top 10 among forwards for shooting, crossing, control and carrying.

Tyrique George (Everton) – 78.0 The Everton winger has built on a positive half-season at Everton last term with a fine start since making the move permanent for £18million. Jack Grealish’s return to fitness, though, will be a challenge.