Thomas Tuchel set to name first England squad - what changes could he make as World Cup qualifying commences?
Published 25/02/2025 at 09:43 GMT
Thomas Tuchel has been handed the task of leading England to World Cup glory in the summer of 2026. He will take his first steps towards that with March's qualifiers against Latvia and Albania in the first international break of the calendar year. But what changes could the former Chelsea boss make to his first squad as he aims to end 60 years of hurt for followers of the national team?
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The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is only 16 months away, so new England manager Thomas Tuchel needs to hit the ground running when he names his first squad for March's qualifiers against Latvia and Albania.
Tuchel has reportedly held talks with Arsenal defender Ben White, who has not featured for his country since leaving their World Cup camp at Qatar 2022.
White could well find himself up for international selection again, but what other changes could Tuchel make as he aims to get off to a flyer in his new job?
Tottenham star James Maddison has revealed that he has also discussed national team matters with the former Chelsea head coach.
The midfielder has helped Spurs to improved results in recent weeks. He scored the winning goal for Ange Postecoglou's team - and certainly enjoyed the celebrations - in their 1-0 win over Manchester United.
Maddison has actually made only a handful of appearances for his country since making his international debut in 2019. He did not make the Euro 2024 squad under Gareth Southgate nor Lee Carsley's squads in the following autumn.
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The 28-year-old insisted however that he is still "hungry" to make his mark for England and he will hope this is a new era for him heading towards the biggest tournament of all in 2026.
One player potentially heading in the opposite direction is Jack Grealish. It felt like he was on top of the world at one time with Manchester City, especially when they won the treble in the 2022/23 season, but he has struggled for fitness and minutes since then.
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Manager Pep Guardiola has not been shy in calling out Grealish for his apparent drop in standards and none of this is likely to endear the 29-year-old to Tuchel.
Tuchel may well need new attacking options for the Wembley games coming up, with Bukayo Saka seemingly unlikely to feature due to the hamstring injury that has kept him out of action for Arsenal since before Christmas.
One youngster that might find himself thrust further into the big time is forward Liam Delap. Ipswich have struggled in the same way most observers expected in their first season back in the top flight for more than two decades, but Delap's 10 league goals have been a very good illustration of his potential.
The 22-year-old has played for the national team in various age groups, and it is likely a senior call-up will come at some stage. The only real question is whether March will be too soon for him.
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Lewis-Skelly impressed during Arsenal's recent win over Manchester City
Image credit: AFP
One really eye-catching move could be for teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly to be named in Tuchel's squad. It is certainly not out of the question.
The 18-year-old defender has done well to step up for an injury-hit Arsenal during an often frustrating season for The Gunners, and the left-back position has been a renowned problem area for England.
Also, with Tuchel apparently not wanting to be confined to only picking players from the top division, could Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford find himself elevated?
The 22-year-old played a starring role as England won the European Under-21 Championship in 2023, and was part of Southgate's provisional squad of 33 players for Euro 2024.
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