LONDON – Thomas Tuchel has offered a tantalising glimpse into his World Cup thinking with the announcement of his latest England squad, headlined by the notable returns of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Manchester City’s Phil Foden.

The attacking duo were high-profile omissions from the previous camp, but their impressive club form has earned them an immediate recall for the final World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

The German coach confirmed the pair are back and “in shape, in form,” with a clear mandate. Tuchel stressed that Bellingham will return to his preferred No10 role to leverage his goalscoring threat. Foden, meanwhile, is also earmarked for a central, fluid role, operating “close to the opponent’s box” rather than out wide.

Their reintegration suggests the manager is fine-tuning his blueprint for next summer’s tournament, having already secured qualification with a perfect record.

Tuchel has also used the opportunity to introduce some fresh blood. Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott earns a first senior call-up, a deserved reward for his sparkling form in the Premier League. Scott, an Under-21 Euros winner, will compete with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, who is also recalled, and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson for the central midfield berths, adding intrigue to a highly competitive area of the squad.

The selection also involved some ruthless calls, notably the omission of the injured Ollie Watkins, who has been given time to recover. Likewise, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly has been dropped after a lack of recent minutes, emphasising Tuchel’s focus on current club performance and match fitness.

With key players back and emerging talents pushing for a spot, this November camp will be crucial for the hopefuls looking to cement their place in Tuchel’s final World Cup squad. The message is clear: the road to the World Cup is now open, and competition for places is fiercer than ever.


Full England Squad

PositionPlayerClub
GoalkeepersDean HendersonCrystal Palace
Jordan PickfordEverton
Nick PopeNewcastle United
DefendersDan BurnNewcastle United
Marc GuéhiCrystal Palace
Reece JamesChelsea
Ezri KonsaAston Villa
Nico O’ReillyManchester City
Jarell QuansahBayer Leverkusen
Djed SpenceTottenham Hotspur
John StonesManchester City
MidfieldersElliot AndersonNottingham Forest1
Jude Bellingham2Real Madrid3
Jordan Henderson4Brentford5
Declan Rice6Arsenal7
Morgan Rogers8Aston Villa9
Alex Scott10AFC Bournemouth11
Adam Wharton12Crystal Palace13
Forwards14Jarrod Bowen15West Ham United16
Eberechi Eze17Arsenal18
Phil Foden19Manche20ster City
Anthony GordonNewcastle United
Harry KaneBayern Munich
Marcus RashfordBarcelona (on loan from Man. Utd)
Bukayo SakaArsenal

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