Thomas Tuchel has announced his England squad for the 2026 World Cup, and it has started some big conversations about some of the absentees.
The German named his squad for the tournament without the likes of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Harry Maguire or Trent Alexander-Arnold involved, and it has sparked some major conversations about his plans for his team in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
But one name who was conspicuous by his absence was Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, who enjoyed a sensational individual campaign, despite his side struggling towards the bottom end of the table throughout the season.
Gibbs-White Breaks Silence on England Snub
Morgan Gibbs-White
Morgan Gibbs-White
Gibbs-White had an excellent campaign, and capped it off with a brilliant free-kick on the final day of the season in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, taking his tally up to 18 goals and seven assists in all competitions.
But despite that excellent form, the 26-year-old has been omitted from the squad ahead of the summer tournament, and has now broken his silence on that decision by the manager.
“I know myself I have done more than enough to be in the squad,” Gibbs-White said, via The Times.
“I just got on the wrong side of someone’s opinion. I have been on the wrong side of people’s opinions throughout my career so I’m only going to bounce back.”
Instead of Gibbs-White, Tuchel will have Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, and Jude Bellingham as his options in that number ten role, while Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Noni Madueke will take up the winger roles.
Gibbs-White Unlucky to Miss Out
Morgan Gibbs-White in action for Nottingham Forest against Porto in the UEFA Europa League
While Tuchel has an embarrassment of riches in attack, there is no doubting that Gibbs-White is someone who undoubtedly should feel disappointed that he has missed out on a place in the England squad.
The Three Lions boss admitted that he wanted to go with the majority of the squad from the internationals in September, October, and November last year to maintain some continuity, but Gibbs-White's performances were easily good enough to earn an inclusion.
But while it's easy to make a case for him, it's harder to make an argument for who should miss out in his place, and if England go all the way and add a second star to their crest this summer, it's one less question that the manager will have to face.
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