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Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha, who is not part of England’s 26-man squad, was named man-of-the-match after an impressive debut as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s 1-0 World Cup warm-up win over New Zealand.
England face Costa Rica on Wednesday in their final pre-tournament friendly, and it remains to be seen whether Thomas Tuchel will once again include Ngumoha.
The England manager will have a full squad available following the arrival of Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.
However, while the starting XI against Costa Rica is expected to be closer to the team that will face Croatia in their World Cup opener on June 17, the Arsenal players are unlikely to start.
According to BBC Sport, Rio Ngumoha is set to leave the England camp this week after impressing Tuchel and his staff. England will travel to their World Cup base in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday after a behind-closed-doors training match against Miami United.
Ngumoha will then take a short break before rejoining Liverpool for their pre-season tour in the United States next month.
Liverpool attacker Rio Ngumoha was one of five supplementary players invited to England’s pre-tournament camp in Florida, with several senior stars, including the Arsenal contingent, arriving later after the Champions League final.
Ngumoha was initially only expected to train, but Thomas Tuchel was sufficiently impressed to hand him a surprise appearance in the first warm-up match, a decision that was ultimately justified by his performance.
That display has fuelled debate over whether Ngumoha should have been considered earlier, either for the final 26-man squad or as a standby option in case of injuries.
However, because he was not included in Tuchel’s original 55-man longlist, he cannot now be drafted in as a replacement.
Tuchel had previously refused to rule out selecting the teenager, making his omission from the wider squad more notable.
Ngumoha remains one of English football’s standout young prospects and is expected to be in contention for future England involvement, potentially as early as the UEFA Nations League campaign in September.