Summary
Thomas Tuchel to announce first England squad for upcoming fixtures.
AI predicts shocking inclusions of Championship players across different positions.
Myles Lewis-Skelly to be handed first call up but no place for Ethan Nwaneri.
A new era of English football is nearly upon us, as Thomas Tuchel will announce his first squad as the Three Lions head coach on Friday. As preparations for the 2026 World Cup get underway, the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea manager will select the first 23 players to represent the country under his stewardship for the upcoming fixtures against Albania and Latvia.
There are many questions as to what the German will do and who he will select. Could Marcus Rashford earn a recall following his loan move to Aston Villa? Might fans see Ethan Nwaneri fast-tracked to the senior setup? With so many variables at play, PLAIER's AI technology has run the numbers to select the players Thomas Tuchel should choose for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, including the shock inclusion of two Championship stars.
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Goalkeepers
Nick Pope, Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson
The options in between the sticks largely pick themselves, as Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, and Dean Henderson are the three most in-form English shotstoppers in the Premier League. The latter even revealed that he had received a text message from the new England boss ahead of last weekend's Premier League fixtures, suggesting that he is front and centre of Tuchel's thoughts.
Pickford will likely remain number one, while Pope and Henderson will act as very strong alternatives. Do spare a thought for James Trafford, though. The Burnley 'keeper has just seen a run of 12 clean sheets on the spin come to an end, but his incredible form was not enough for the AI to believe he deserved a place in the squad this time around.
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Defenders
Reece James, Trent Alexander Arnold, Kyle Walker-Peters, James Tarkowski, Jacob Greaves, Levi Colwill, Myles Lewis-Skelly
The defence sees a plethora of surprising returns and potential debuts, as PLAIER suggests a new-look backline for Tuchel to work with. In terms of those who would be surefire bets to be included, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Levi Colwill are established within the national team to the point where only injury would be keeping them out, though this could actually be the case for the Liverpool man.
However, Reece James may have returned to the Chelsea fold just in time for his former boss to hand him his first call-up in two years. He is not joined by Kyle Walker, but instead, Kyle Walker-Peters, who is predicted to be a part of the senior squad for just the second time after his two caps in 2022. There is also a potential return for Everton's James Tarkowski.
Those clamouring for Myles Lewis-Skelly to make his England bow will be happy with the AI's selection of the youngster. Meanwhile, there is also a surprising call-up for Ipswich Town's Jacob Greaves, who have never even represented his country at youth level.
Midfielders
James Maddison, Ebrechi Eze, John Swift, James Ward-Prowse, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Ben Sheaf, Curtis Jones
The midfield sees no room for the likes of Adam Wharton and Angel Gomes, but there are two shock Championship stars who find their way into the 23. West Brom's John Swift and Coventry's Ben Sheaf have both been in brilliant form of late, but will it be enough to be included among the very best in the country?
Set-piece specialist James Ward-Prowse always had terrible luck when it came to England call-ups under Gareth Southgate and was criminally underrated. However, a disappointing season means that his AI prediction is unlikely to come to fruition. Curtis Jones, Eberechi Eze, and James Maddison are all likely inclusions, but are also far from guaranteed.
If you had to bet on any midfielders getting the call, it would be Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, who would be unfathomable omissions if it were to happen.
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Attackers
Cole Palmer, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins
Four of these five players are hardly a surprise. It is hard to imagine a world where captain Harry Kane, PFA Player of the Year Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Ollie Watkins don't factor into the England equation. But the final attacker is an eyebrow-raiser.
Instead of the return of Rashford or the debut of Nwaneri, the AI has backed Jack Grealish to be handed a role by Tuchel, despite the fact the last 18 months have hardly been rosy for the Manchester City number 10. If anything, Grealish's stock is at an all-time low right now, making headlines off the pitch rather than on it. But, PLAIER still backs him to find his way into the plans.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 13/03/2025.