Thomas Tuchel’s 35-man squad announcement took everyone by surprise on Friday and now is the time for this experiment to begin.
The England manager plans to rest 11 players for the first friendly against Uruguay: Dean Henderson, Dan Burn, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Nico O’Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka.
They will then take part in the next friendly against Japan, giving Tuchel essentially two camps to work with.
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The German’s desire is to “open up the competition for plane tickets to the US”, so what will he look out for? Here are seven issues to solve before naming his World Cup squad…
Can Stones and Maguire run it back?
Harry Maguire is back in the England squad for the first time since September 2024, while John Stones has started the last four games under Tuchel after almost a year away from the international scene.
So could Tuchel be tempted to run it back? The pair were Gareth Southgate’s go-to partnership in defence, and though they are arguably competing with Konsa to start alongside Guehi, the familiarity of Maguire and Stones ahead of Jordan Pickford in goal could prove a valuable bedrock come the summer.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 17: John Stones and Harry Maguire of England pose for a photo in the dressing room after the team's victory during the UEFA EURO 2024 European qualifier match between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium on October 17, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
John Stones and Harry Maguire were the bedrock of Southgate’s England (Photo: Getty)
Dominic vs Dominic
Despite being the top English goalscorer in the Premier League, it is unlikely Danny Welbeck will push for a World Cup spot now he has been overlooked for the March friendlies.
The door though is still open for Ollie Watkins to play Harry Kane’s deputy once more, despite missing out on this squad, with Tuchel admitting he wants to get a closer look at Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke before deciding who travels stateside.
“It’s a decision for Solanke and Calvert-Lewin, who I don’t know as well as Watkins,” Tuchel said on Friday. “I have a clear picture of what he can give us. I want to have a look at other players to get a clearer picture.”
Clipping the wingers
Jarrod Bowen, Gordon, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford and Saka all made this bumper squad, with Harvey Barnes then included on Monday, and with Rogers and Phil Foden also capable of playing out wide there will not be room for every winger in the final World Cup squad.
Saka is a certain starter, and with Gordon and Rashford fighting for the left-sided role, arguably it is Barnes, Bowen and Madueke with the greatest points to prove during this camp.
Room for a Carabao Cup hero?
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly with the trophy during the Carabao Cup Final match Arsenal and between Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, 21, scored twice in the Carabao Cup final (Photo: Getty)
Nico O’Reilly made his England debut in November and will now be riding on a high after he was Manchester City’s hero in the Carabao Cup final.
The versatile 21-year-old is primarily a left-back, and with the left side of defence and attack arguably England’s two most open positions, there is a World Cup starting place on the line.
O’Reilly has shown what he can do on the Wembley stage, and he could now be in a straight fight with Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall for that left-back spot after Manchester United’s Luke Shaw was overlooked. With O’Reilly out of the Uruguay game, there’s every chance he starts against Japan.
The Cole Palmer conundrum
The size of Tuchel’s latest squad took everyone by surprise on Friday, and kicked the can down the road on some more awkward decisions, namely his travelling No 10 stars.
Tuchel is blessed in this position, to the point a high-profile name is set to miss out at the World Cup, and while Eberechi Eze’s absence from the Carabao Cup final – and subsequent withdrawal from the England squad – gives Cole Palmer more breathing space, it is the Chelsea playmaker who is out of form and increasingly slipping out of contention from a race both Jude Bellingham and Rogers are ahead in.
Palmer has only played once for England under Tuchel due to persistent injury problems, too, meaning he gets a rare chance to prove his worth this international break – at a time when many would say he really needs a rest.
See also: Phil Foden
Foden is a month-by-month case. One month he’s a shoo-in to make the plane and the next you forget about him until he comes off the bench in the 90th minute of the Carabao Cup final.
A November-December flurry of eight goals but none since, and now in and out of the Manchester City side, he will be on the fringe of Tuchel’s thoughts unless he can convince otherwise this week.
Too many midfield men
Kobbie Mainoo’s return to the England fold is a rich reward for his Manchester United form and gives Tuchel a late musing on whether it will still be Elliott Anderson partnering Declan Rice at the World Cup.
Anderson and Rice are both among the 11 players being rested against Uruguay, giving Mainoo every chance of donning the England shirt for the first time since September 2024.
With Jordan Henderson, James Garner and Adam Wharton also in the squad, Tuchel has some cutting to do, but Mainoo – who started England’s knockout games at Euro 2024 – is surely on the path to pushing Anderson more than he is fighting for a World Cup spot.