The selection of Nwaneri means there is no place for his Arsenal club-mate Dowman, despite the youngster's meteoric rise in recent months. Dowman recently wrote himself into the history books by becoming theyoungest-ever Premier League scorer at just 16 years and 73 days old. His sensational solo goal against Everton sparked calls for a surprise inclusion in the senior setup, but it would seem Tuchel has opted for the more experienced England youth international Nwaneri instead.
Nwaneri’s profile is well-known to the national coaching staff, having been a part of the England Under-21 side that secured European Championship glory in 2025. Dowman, meanwhile, remains one for the future at the Emirates and it's unclear if he came under consideration as an option for the preparation camp.
“We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players,” revealed Tuchel.
"I’m happy to have these players, especially Alex who was on the [long] list of 55 [players for the 26-man World Cup squad] and obviously he didn’t make the first cut but the reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him.
“That showed me his character and I’m delighted he’ll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap."