England manager Thomas Tuchel has named a 35-man squad for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, offering the final opportunity for players to stake their claim ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer. There were several interesting picks from the German manager but the announcement drew attention for the omission of Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, a decision Tuchel described as “tough.”
“I know what Trent can give us and I decided still to stick to the players with us,” Tuchel said, explaining that other players, including Tino Livramento, Djed Spence, and Jarell Quansah, provide “a slightly different profile” compared to Alexander-Arnold.
The squad also sees two uncapped players receive their first call-ups: Everton midfielder James Garner and Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele. Garner, who has been ever-present for Everton this season, expressed his excitement, saying, “I was very confident it was going to come just on the basis that I’ve had a good season, so I finally got my chance and it’s a dream come true.”
On the other hand, Steele has not appeared in the Premier League this season but has been included with the possibility of joining the World Cup squad as a training goalkeeper. This is his first senior call-up since representing Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.
Several returns, while Chelsea duo ruled out
Meanwhile, several players are returning after extended absences. Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will rejoin the squad after more than five years, while Dominic Solanke is included for the first time since October 2024. AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori is recalled for the first time since October 2023, and Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo also return.
However, Chelsea’s Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah miss out due to injury. Tuchel emphasised the management strategy, noting the camp is split to allow 11 players to join after the Uruguay fixture. “These guys have played 3,500 minutes, some 4,000 minutes. More important than the pure number of minutes is some of these guys have played more minutes than the whole of last season,” he said.
Tuchel also addressed competition for other positions. “I want to have a look at two other players to get a better picture and have a clearer opinion,” he said, referring to the selection choices over Ollie Watkins in attack.
Notably, England will host Uruguay at Wembley on 27 March, followed by Japan on 31 March. Final World Cup squads must be submitted by 30 May.
England’s 35-member squad:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle United), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur)
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