Which fringe players could make the England World Cup squad? | OneFootball

Football fans will be counting down to the World Cup – and on Friday the wait is over to find out who has made England’s squad.

But who is going to make the plane for the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico?

Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel will put fans – and dozens of anxious players sweating over their selection – out of their misery on Friday by announcing a 26-player squad.

Only players named in the squad will be eligible to take part, although they can be replaced in the case of a serious injury or illness no less than 24 hours before their team’s first match of the World Cup.

A provisional list of 55 players has already been sent into FIFA, but the oversized squad has to be whittled down.

While players like Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford, Declan Rice and Marc Guehi are almost certain to get a phone call, dozens of stars face a nervy countdown to the squad announcement.

Will they be helping to bring it home, or will they be at home to watch the World Cup unfold on TV?

One of Tuchel’s biggest selection headaches is over who plays back up to Harry Kane at striker.

Attacking options

Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a clear option, with 14 Premier League goals this season. He may be preferred over Dominc Solanke at Tottenham, who has had another injury-filled campaign.

Danny Welbeck at Brighton is another good choice, and at 35 is still firing, with 13 league goals this campaign.

Ollie Watkins will also certainly be in the conversation and could be a Europa League winner with Aston Villa before the squad announcement.

Tuchel could be looking to bring some experience into his attack by potentially selecting Marcus Rashford on the wing. Having had a good campaign in La Liga with eight goals and seven assists this season, Rashford could be in the German’s plans for the World Cup.

Anthony Gordon could be another great option for Tuchel’s forward line. At the beginning on the season Gordon looked a shoo-in for a spot in England’s World Cup squad, but thanks to a recent injury that has seen him sit out the last five Newcastle outings, his place on the plane is not guaranteed.

Midfield dilemma

Tuchel faces a set of tricky decisions in midfield. Cole Palmer has had a poor season by his standards, but Tuchel knows what he is capable of and he played a key role in the 2024 EURO’s.

It might be Manchester City star Phil Foden missing out this time. He has been a shadow of his former self this season, and struggled for game time.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Morgan Rogers have both been pushing for inclusion, and Gibbs-White in particular will be difficult to leave out given he has scored 14 league goals and registered four assists this season.

After scoring the first goal of Tuchel’s tenure, Myles Lewis-Skelly could make it into Tuchel’s final 26, but he has struggled for game time at Arsenal this season.

Although Alex Scott was left out of Tuchel’s previous squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, he brings a different skill-set than Tuchel’s other midfield options. Scott serves both as a deep-lying player and can operate box to box. This could be enough to secure his place on the plane.

Defensive options

In defence, Harry Maguire, Trevoh Chalobah and Fikayo Tomori are just some of the centre-backs who are on the fringes.

Manchester City’s John Stones has a lot of experience, but there are always question marks over his fitness.

Trent Alexander-Arnold would be a certainty for most, but Tuchel has never seemed to favour him. He’s first pick when fit for Real Madrid and already has wealth of experience. It could be argued no other international team would leave him out of their squad.

Luke Shaw’s experience at full-back could be vital. And he’s been in terrific form for Manchester United, propelling them to third in the league.