England will go to this summer’s World Cup without the likes of Harry Maguire, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Lewis Hall after Thomas Tuchel named a controversial 26-man squad this morning.
Some of the key absences were already known due to a series of leaks to the media over the past 24 hours but it still comes as a surprise to see a squad that includes Jordan Henderson, Dan Burn, Djed Spence and Ivan Toney chosen to represent the Three Lions in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Brentford midfielder Henderson will turn 36 on June 17, the day of England’s opener against Croatia, while Burn has looked largely poor in a season of struggle for Newcastle.
The veteran pair appear to have got the nod due to their dressing room influence rather than on-field ability.
Burn operates mostly at centre-half for Newcastle but can also play on the left of a back four and will go as cover in what seems a problem position with only Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly appearing in that role on a regular basis.
The other alternatives in the squad, Spence and Tino Livramento, are predominantly right-backs.
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Henderson and Mainoo included by England, rather than Wharton
Henderson will compete for a defensive midfield berth with Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson and Kobbie Mainoo with Adam Wharton overlooked.
Mainoo is a slight surprise despite performing well for Manchester United since Michael Carrick took over in January.
The number 10 position has been the subject of much discussion over recent months but it seems to have come down to a three-way fight between Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham and Eberechi Eze for the role in the starting XI now that Foden, Palmer and Gibbs-White are out of the running.
Toney and Watkins to act as back up to England captain Kane
It is another head-scratching call that Tuchel has opted to take Toney and Watkins as cover for captain Harry Kane.
Toney has scored 32 goals for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League but has not played for his country since a brief cameo in the defeat to Senegal last year while Watkins was left out of the most recent squad but returns after an impressive end to the season with Aston Villa.
England’s World Cup squad is:
Goalkeepers
Pickford (Everton), Henderson (Crystal Palace), Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders
James (Chelsea), Livramento (Newcastle), Guehi (Manchester City), Konsa (Aston Villa), Stones (Manchester City), Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), O’Reilly (Manchester City), Spence (Tottenham), Burn (Newcastle)
Midfielders
Rice (Arsenal), Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Bellingham (Real Madrid), Henderson (Brentford), Rogers (Aston Villa), Mainoo (Manchester United)
Forwards
Saka (Arsenal), Madueke (Arsenal), Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United), Gordon (Newcastle), Eze (Arsenal), Kane (Bayern Munich), Toney (Al-Ahli), Watkins (Aston Villa)
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