8 Players in Danger of Being Left off of England’s 2026 World Cup Squad

In partnership with GOAL.com

"We are not collecting the most talented players, we are trying to build a team. Teams win trophies, no-one else." If anyone was in any doubt as to whether England manager Thomas Tuchel planned to stick to his fairly unpopular selection policy with the World Cup fast approaching, those pointed words ahead of the friendly victory over Wales more or less confirmed it.

To date, the German tactician's tenure has been punctuated by questionable calls on who deserves a place in his squad, with a number of in-form hopefuls overlooked and the likes of Jordan Henderson and Ruben Loftus-Cheek surprisingly ushered back in from the international wilderness.

"That's how it is in international football," the Three Lions' boss continued. "But the thing you are playing [back to me] is not what I am saying. You are playing the game that says: 'He (Tuchel) is saying the others who aren't in the team, you cannot build a team with them'. It's not like this. We built a team with the players who were available and they did so well so we go again with them. Nobody said we can't do the same with them. Or even better, or maybe the same level, with the others."

However, Tuchel's determination to stick with the same group in October that impressed him in the September international break has led to more controversial snubs, with some of the country's biggest names left out with only a handful of games remaining before England, barring an absolute catastrophe in those final qualification matches, will be lining up at the World Cup in North America next summer.

"For this moment we stick with our choice and the radical statement is that we don't collect the most talented players," the manager continued. "We collect the guys who have the glue and cohesion to be the best team. Because we need to arrive as the best team. We will arrive as underdogs at the World Cup because we haven't won it for decades and we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time. So we have to arrive as a team or we will have no chance."

This was a stark warning to England's 'most talented' stars. With that in mind, GOAL assesses the eight players who are most under threat in the lead-up to the tournament...

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Despite being inarguably one of the finest full-backs on the planet, Trent Alexander-Arnold has never been a guaranteed starter for his country - a luxury creative player from the back who is something of a tactical misfit, and that is a trend that has continued under Tuchel.

The Real Madrid man has seen just 26 minutes of action for England since the German's reign began in earnest, which came against minnows Andorra in June. He missed out on the March squad through injury and was overlooked for the late summer international window as Reece James and Tino Livramento were picked ahead of him. "He's a great player who will always be in contention," Tuchel said at the time. "I know he wanted to be here, which is very important. I just chose others due to competition."

However, another fitness issue meant Alexander-Arnold was unavailable for the latest set of internationals this month, limiting his opportunities to impress and with James, who played under Tuchel at Chelsea, now firmly ahead of him in the pecking order. If he can't battle back into the squad in November, it could be curtains for his World Cup chances.

Jude Bellingham

It seems unthinkable that Jude Bellingham wouldn't be central to England's plans in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year, should the Three Lions qualify as expected, but Tuchel's words and the shock decision to leave him out of the October camp have thrown his involvement into some question.

The midfield dynamo was not involved in September after finally undergoing surgery on a longstanding shoulder issue, but despite him returning to fitness, the Real Madrid superstar was left out again this month amid the manager's resolve to stick with the same group for the clashes with Wales and Latvia.

"Jude is a very special player, and for special players there can always be special rules," Tuchel said as he explained the controversial decision. "I get this. But for this camp we decided that we stick with our straightforward decision to invite the same team. That applies also then for Jude, he deserves always to be in camp.

"I think there is an extra layer on top, the situation that he has not fully gathered rhythm yet at Real Madrid. He is back in the team. He hasn’t finished one full match until now, he has only started one match, so he is in the period where he gets his rhythm, where he gets back to full strength. But the decision stayed for this camp."

A generational talent, Bellingham will, of course, still expect to be on the plane, but the question now is: where does the buck stop with repeatedly calling up the same squad if results remain strong?

Jack Grealish

Jack Grealish must be wondering what more he has to do to earn his own recall to the England setup almost exactly a year on from his last cap, when he scored in a 3-1 victory over Finland. One of the most technically gifted English players of his generation, the winger remains in the international wilderness despite recapturing his best form on loan at Everton with five goal involvements in seven Premier League games so far.

Even though left wing is a problem position for the Three Lions, and Tuchel has even admitted the 30-year-old is "very close to be the best version of himself, a very special player, a very special character", he was again left out of the squad for the October international break.

The player took the snub with optimum grace, telling Sky Sports: "I do understand it. I spoke to the manager there, and I understand that there’s a lot of competition, especially in that left-wing spot at the moment. Rashy's (Marcus Rashford) flying, [Eberechi] Eze, Anthony Gordon, you know, everyone's doing so well. I can’t really complain, it is what it is."

Behind closed doors, though, Grealish will surely be growing frustrated. The next few weeks will be crucial for his chances.

Phil Foden

Another player who Tuchel has praised despite leaving him out of his latest squad, Phil Foden has looked to be on the way back to something like the player who was absolutely unplayable for Manchester City two seasons ago, albeit he hasn't set the world alight.

Indeed, the midfielder hasn't done enough to earn a recall having not featured under Tuchel since his first two games in charge way back in March, falling victim to the German's divisive selection decisions in the summer after a disappointing campaign on an individual level, and an ankle injury back in September.

The manager acknowledges that Foden is "back to influencing games, deciding games for Manchester City", but there is a sense that he is probably still some way down the pecking order having failed to ever make a significant impact for his country, with the likes of Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eze currently ahead of him, while others on this list are arguably more likely to force their way back into the former Bayern Munich head coach's plans.

Myles Lewis-Skelly

It seemed for all the world that Myles Lewis-Skelly would make the England left-back berth his own for years to come after a mightily impressive breakout season for Arsenal, but even before his comments about England's 'most talented' players, Tuchel singled out the teenager for an individual warning.

The 19-year-old has not been a regular starter for his club so far in 2025-26, with Mikel Arteta largely preferring the versatile Riccardo Calafiori on the left side of his defence as the Englishman is forced to settle for the kind of limited minutes that most players his age would be very happy with.

However, the England manager has made him well aware that he needs to be playing more even if there is a dearth of options in his position. "Maybe it becomes a problem for him, yeah," he said when asked about Lewis-Skelly's lack of game time. "He was a very good player in camp, a very good team-mate in camp [last month]. But being a good team-mate in camp may not be good enough to stay the whole year with us.

"You have to perform at club level on a regular basis. In the last camp he got the credit, that I was convinced we have to take care of him and nominate him because we accelerated his career. It was our responsibility after we called him last season. So we stick to this. He is one of the players who benefits from this decision, from sticking with the same squad, but the performances [for Arsenal] will be a key factor in the next month."

Kobbie Mainoo

It feels like a lifetime ago that Kobbie Mainoo made his England breakthrough at a major tournament, emerging as a key player under Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024 and starting every knockout-stage game as the Three Lions suffered heartbreak in the final against Spain.

He seemed to have the world at his feet back then, but it's now more than a year since the 20-year-old's last call-up and last cap, with his meteoric rise stalling alarmingly amid Manchester United's overall struggles. The midfielder is seemingly a tactical misfit for Ruben Amorim, and his status with the national team is suffering as a result of his lack of game time since the Portuguese took over at Old Trafford 11 moths ago.

Although it feels as though he is miles away from the England squad at present, despite his obvious talent and the lack of a similar option, Tuchel still has an eye on him and has thrown down the gauntlet. "He's lacking minutes. I don't think he lacks anything else," the manager said in September. "He has the experience, the power, the quality, the talent to be on our list - he is on our list - but in his position, No.6, No.8, No.10, we have players in full rhythm and play key parts in their clubs. This is the next step for him."

Cole Palmer

Had he been fit, it would be hard to imagine a world where Cole Palmer wasn't central to Tuchel's plans ahead of the World Cup, with his talent and consistency simply too great to overlook. However, a string of ill-timed injuries mean the Chelsea talisman has barely featured for his country since the head coach began work in March.

The attacker has played just 65 minutes of football under the German, which - like Trent - came against Andorra in the summer, missing out on three out of four camps Tuchel has overseen. Having been unavailable in September and October, Palmer now faces a race against time to earn a place in the November squad as he nurses a niggling groin issue. If he is not present there, then his World Cup hopes will hang in the balance.

"He was only in the June camp. That is concerning, of course," Tuchel said after being unable to call upon the 23-year-old for the games against Wales and Latvia. "First of all, the most important thing is that he can play without pain, because the groin issue is a very dangerous one to become chronic.

"This is the most important thing. When he's fit and when he has rhythm and flow, he can decide matches on club level and, for sure, on international level. We know that. We clearly understand and see the potential and the quality, but there is also a reality that he was not available in five of the [last] seven camps, so right now there are two camps left before the World Cup."

Adam Wharton

Perhaps the most cultured central midfielder England has produced in a generation or more, the decision to overlook Adam Wharton this month raised plenty of eyebrows and suggests he falls into the category of the 'most talented' players who could fall by the wayside as Tuchel looks to build a 'team' that is capable of ending the 60 years of hurt.

The Crystal Palace star has been exceptional so far this season, but somehow he has not done enough to earn a recall, and as a young player he will know his opportunities to impress are running out - especially with Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson laying claim to a midfield place with his own outstanding displays.

Again, though, all hope is not lost, with Tuchel making it clear to the player that the door is still ajar. "He just gave me a message saying I'm playing well, I'm close and I deserve to be there, but he's going to stick with the same team," Wharton revealed. "That's football, I'm not too fussed about that. I can take the time off, go see my grandparents, and it's not the end of the world, as there's another camp next month.

"I'm just focusing on Crystal Palace and playing well, and hopefully, if I play well, I'll get the call. It's nice to hear, but I think my focus is on Palace and if that goes well, then England is just a bonus."