Thomas Tuchel is set to leave out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire when he names England’s 26-man squad for this summer’s World Cup on Friday.
Manchester United defender Maguire confirmed the news in an emotional Instagram post, saying he was “shocked and gutted” after missing out despite believing he could still play a key role for England. His exclusion comes alongside fellow defenders Luke Shaw, Levi Colwill and Fikayo Tomori.
Foden and Palmer are also expected to be excluded after inconsistent and injury-hit campaigns for Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is another key absentee despite finishing as the Premier League’s joint top-scoring English player with 14 goals.
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is set to earn a call-up after helping his side win the Europa League on Wednesday, while Al-Ahli forward Ivan Toney is also expected to make the squad following a prolific season in Saudi Arabia.
Arsenal trio Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze are all expected to be included, with Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo also likely to retain his place after impressing in recent friendlies.
Despite concerns over fitness, Manchester City defender John Stones is poised to be selected, with Tuchel reportedly viewing him as a key figure in his squad.
England will face New Zealand and Costa Rica in warm-up friendlies before opening their World Cup campaign against Croatia on 17 June, followed by group games against Ghana and Panama.
Oluwagbemisola Babalola
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