The last squad England for a major tournament turned into a bit of a bloodbath, with Harry Maguire, Jack Grealish and James Maddison left out of Euro 2024 as the news cycle span away from Gareth Southgate.
Two years on and Maguire is again the victim, “shocked and gutted” to have been left out by Thomas Tuchel despite being recalled in March as the news again began leaking ahead of Friday’s 10am announcement.
Injury has ruled out Grealish and Maddison, but form has done for Phil Foden.
Such is the competition for places in England's 26, they will not be the last big names left disappointed.
OUT: Harry Maguire confirmed he has been left out (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)placeholder image
OUT: Harry Maguire confirmed he has been left out (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Tuchel showed in qualifying he will not be swayed by reputation, but very influenced by how people have performed for him in the past.
So it would be a bigger shock were Trent Alexander-Arnold in the squad than left at home. No matter what he says in public, Tuchel is clearly not a fan of the right-back.
He is lukewarm, too, about Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham, but he does look set to make the squad named at around 10am on Friday, though perhaps not the first XI.
England have so many quality players who are not centre-forwards or central midfielders but somewhere in between that Foden has been deemed dispensable and Cole Palmer's place is in doubt. Former Sheffield United player Morgan Gibbs-White was left out of the March friendlies but has responded strongly.
IN? Levi Colwill is set to get the nod (Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images)placeholder image
IN? Levi Colwill is set to get the nod (Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have good qualifying campaigns and Premier League winners' medals in the bag, but is it enough?
In defence, the issue is injuries.
Tino Livramento looked very well placed to be a back-up full-back on either side but has been out for a month with a thigh injury.
Tuchel is a huge John Stones fan, but since playing for England in November, his only matches have been FA Cup ties and Champions League group games. Is he too big a risk?
Tuchel also loves the Chelsea pair of Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah, both of whom had loans at Huddersfield Town as youngsters.
Both were in Chelsea's Cup final squad, but Chalobah on the bench, having only made three starts since mid-March. Colwill was excellent in only his second start since tearing his anterior cruciate knee ligaments at last summer's Club World Cup.
Dan Burns is a Tuchel favourite who can cover at left-back, and it would be a surprise if he did not go.
Neither Dominic – Solanke or Sheffield-born Leeds United striker Calvert-Lewin – took their chance as Harry Kane's deputy in March but Ollie Watkins has hit top form since being dropped for them. That 35-year-old Danny Welbeck was not even included in that squad does not bode well for him.
Kobbie Mainoo also finished the season strongly and fellow central midfielder James Garner was man of the match en debut in March.
Here is the squad I would take, as opposed to the one I think Tuchel will: Pickford, D Henderson, Trafford; James, Alexander-Arnold, O'Reilly, Lewis-Skelly, Konsa, Guehi, Maguire, Colwill; Anderson, Garner, Rice, Mainoo; Saka, Palmer, Rogers, Bellingham, Gibbs-White, Gordon, Rashford, Eze; Kane, Watkins, Welbeck.