Thomas Tuchel<\/a> spent around four hours on Thursday calling disappointed England <\/a>players to explain to them that the rationale for his 26-man squad<\/a> was one that could navigate every element of a possible seven-week campaign.<\/p>\n This is the biggest World Cup ever<\/a>, so it contains more variables than any other \u2013 above all, the conditions. Tuchel, rather than just assembling the \u201c26 most talented names\u201d, as he put it, has ultimately tried to cater for every obstacle they may face.<\/p>\n \u201cSpecialists for all kinds of different scenarios,\u201d Tuchel said. Hence, Ivan Toney for penalties.<\/a><\/p>\n And a preference for players who can play in a few positions, especially with how demanding the conditions are going to be.<\/p>\n All of this is ultimately predicated on the reality that most of his first XI \u2013 and certainly the front six \u2013 picks itself.<\/p>\n Reece James<\/a> will be the right-back, but obviously can fill in for either Elliot Anderson or Declan Rice in the middle, behind Jude Bellingham, likely ahead of Morgan Rogers, plus Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a strong core, now with new experience at winning at the elite level, and a lot of quality. They can give any side a game. After that, though, it\u2019s a little thinner.<\/p>\n Most of England\u2019s real world-class talent \u2013 the truly top-tier players \u2013 have been clustered in specific positions.<\/p>\n That\u2019s especially been true of the No 10 role, but it would obviously be absurd and almost self-defeating to force in all the best names just because you have them.<\/p>\n Brazil, after all, didn\u2019t take one of the best forwards in the Premier League<\/a>. That specific issue has also caused England so many notorious problems in the past.<\/p>\n You could see in Euro 2024, where there was almost confusion over where they should go, as so many clustered in the centre. Stripping them down makes it cleaner and frees up space elsewhere.<\/p>\n And once you take that entirely understandable rationale, it means big talents get dropped. In this case, it\u2019s Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White.<\/a><\/p>\n And, outside of the Nottingham Forest star, it\u2019s easy to understand why. Foden has not made much impact for Manchester City this season, having witnessed Rayan Cherki excel in a role that should be his. Palmer has only recently started to recover fitness, but is still only playing in bursts.<\/p>\n Gibbs-White is more unlucky to miss out, but that\u2019s just the type of hard call that\u2019s required.<\/p>\n As Tuchel put it, \u201cit\u2019s part of the job … if you bring these names, you leave out other big names. I like these decisions. It brings an edge.\u201d<\/p>\n It is also probably overkill to bring more than three No 10s, especially when players like Kane and Saka can fill in there.<\/p>\n Bellingham is still one of England\u2019s best players, despite all the debate. Tuchel loves Rogers, feels he\u2019s great for the flow of the team, and is also aware that he had a better season than Gibbs-White. <\/p>\n Eberechi Eze was, meanwhile, a transformative attacker with the champions Arsenal, with so many key moments, and is also known as a great personality in the squad.<\/p>\n The latter point has also been key for Tuchel, especially with a group of young men set to be sequestered away together for so long. <\/p>\n Jordan Henderson is included for that very reason. If Bellingham can still occasionally be abrasive, he responds well to Henderson. The former Liverpool player still polices the squad.<\/p>\n There have been suggestions that Tuchel has issues with the personalities of both Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire.<\/p>\n It isn\u2019t necessarily that he sees them as problematic, but more that certain personality traits related to football decisions \u2013 such as what they can be like if left out \u2013 may rankle Tuchel over seven weeks.<\/p>\n Tuchel did have a very pointed line on opening his announcement, saying: \u201cI can assure every fan in the country we have 26 players who are 100 per cent committed, and know their role, and are committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Tuchel](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2277623465...jpeg\")
Tuchel did not pick any Liverpool players in his World Cup squad (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Tuchel](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2218314597...jpeg\")
Tuchel had to have difficult conversations with big-name players like Cole Palmer (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Jordan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/01KS7F2PY5634AH3YRA206Y8CZ.jpg\")
Jordan Henderson has been included in the squad because he \u2018polices\u2019 teammates (PA)<\/p>\n