Thomas Tuchel is expected to include at least one Manchester United player in his latest squad for the first time since taking over as England manager, with Harry Maguire most likely to be recalled.
Coby Mainu’s return to form and regular first-team football means Luke Shaw could join this final England squad before Tuchel names his 25-man squad for the World Cup, meaning he is also pushing for a call-up.
A United player has not appeared for England in 18 months, with Mainou and Maguire last called up in September 2024. However, the duo are now on manager Michael Carrick’s team sheet, have won seven of nine games for the club and both are in contention to represent England.
With 64 England caps and 12 World Cup appearances under his belt, Maguire’s leadership skills and experience make him a strong candidate, especially now that he has fully recovered from the injury woes that dogged him throughout 2025.
Manager James Garner has given Maynou some competition in the midfield after a number of impressive performances for Everton in the Premier League, which was particularly evident in last weekend’s narrow loss to Arsenal. He turned 25 last Friday and is nearing his first senior call-up.
Everton’s James Garner close to being called up
Garner has played at all levels for England’s youth teams and was a key member of the Under-21 team that won Euro 2023.
A question mark over Maynou’s arrival will be his intensity level, having not played a full 90 minutes in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim and facing stop-start involvement before Carrick’s appointment.
In fact, United are currently only in the Premier League, playing one game a week, but questions remain as to whether Shaw’s injury history will prevent him from coping with the rigors of a major tournament, and the possibility of games being played every four days. It’s something that Tuchel is considering carefully.
Harry Maguire and Kobie Mainu could be named as Manchester United’s first players by England manager Thomas Tuchel
Lewis Hall, who has been in form for Newcastle, is very likely to be the England international’s left-back option, while team-mate Tino Libramento – who has the versatility to play in either defensive position – also seems suitable for a call-up.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has become more regular in the Real Madrid side, is also likely to be recalled with the injured Reece James out. Although he has not been involved with his country since June last year, manager Tuchel is a big fan of his footballing ability.
Trent Alexander-Arnold could be subject to recall in England
Jude Bellingham is expected to be included in Tuchel’s squad but is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained on February 1. He has returned to training but was not included in the Real Madrid squad that eliminated Manchester City from the Champions League earlier this week.
Even if Bellingham misses a significant part in the two friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley, Tuchel is thought to want the senior player in camp as he begins discussions on the details and logistics of this summer’s World Cup campaign.
The England manager has a big decision to make regarding his No. 10 options, with Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rodgers, Phil Foden and Ebereshi Eze all competing against each other.
Will Tuchel narrow down his field this spring training and decide to keep some big names at home? Or will he call everyone together for a complete final battle to decide the standings?
Eze’s incredible goal against Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday strengthened his case, as his versatility means he is also a good option on the left wing.
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Paul Merson reacts to Eberechi Eze’s sensational opening match between Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen.
Of all these brilliant No. 10s, the one most at risk is probably Palmer due to his indifferent form at Chelsea. He has been plagued by injuries for much of this season, and has not been able to reach the incredible heights of performance he has had in recent seasons.
However, as of 2026, he still has six goals and three assists, and according to statistics, he is still far ahead of the likes of Rodgers (involved in five goals), Eze (involved in six goals) and Foden (only one assist and no goals in 16 appearances for Manchester City).
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Danny Mills believes Cole Palmer should be England’s number 10 at this summer’s World Cup.
The problems continue up front, with no clear replacement in sight for Harry Kane, and his two goals against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek further underlined that he is in a class of his own. This means the England captain has played 14 games since New Year’s Day, scoring 17 goals and providing two assists.
By comparison, Ollie Watkins is Tuchel’s next most likely option, but he has been severely out of form, scoring just three goals since the start of the year. Will that mean Danny Welbeck and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be in the England manager’s thoughts?
As usual, there are some incredibly taxing decisions for Tuchel ahead of the next international break. But with the start of the World Cup just 12 weeks away and two more friendlies to be played before the final 25-man list is selected, any choices or omissions he makes now will take on special meaning and significance.
