Tuchel’s England squad - five to drop and five to recall as German looks to save his reputation

Tuchel’s England squad - five to drop and five to recall as German looks to save his reputation

England Squad

Tuchel’s England squad - five to drop and five to recall as German looks to save his reputation

Tomorrow, Thomas Tuchel will announce his first England squad since the World Cup, as the German looks to bounce back from an embarrassing defeat against Argentina in the semi-finals of the competition.

It had all been going so well for England. Wins against Croatia and Panama in the group stage helped them top the group, before they toppled a strong Mexico team on home soil in the round of 16 and then proceeded to come from behind to beat dark-horses Norway in the quarter-final.

A blockbuster semi-final matchup came against old foes Argentina, with no love lost between the two countries. Political tensions flared before, during, and after the match, with the Falklands being the main discussion point.

England went 1-0 up in the 55th minute—courtesy of an Anthony Gordon goal—but were pegged back twice in the 85th and 92nd minutes to cause heartbreak once again, with a bitter rival controversially celebrating with a ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ (The Falklands are Argentine).

England giving up a 1-0 lead in any match, let alone the World Cup semi-final, would have annoyed any fan, but it was the manner in which they did it.

Despite strong wins throughout the tournament, there is no denying that their soft underbelly was exposed by both Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, before Argentina pounced and used it to their advantage.

After scoring, England cowered away. Normally, when a side goes 1-0 up, they go on the offensive. Instead, the English side reacted like a scared child.

Following Gordon’s opener, England had just 12% of possession. That is simply not a tactic that wins you games.

Tuchel allowed a strong Argentine side in attack to pounce on the English defence, and there is only so many opportunities you can give the South American nation before they curl one into the back of the net.

That is why these Nations League matches are so important for England.

Across the space of 19 days, England will face Spain, Croatia, and the Czech Republic in both home and away matches.

Normally, the Nations League is a second-tier competition for England. And this time, it should not be too different.

However, Tuchel cannot be seen to keep this soft underbelly that was exposed of him earlier this summer.

If England start to drop points in these matches, more questions will be asked.

So here at Football Park, we have offered some help to the German: five players he should drop from his last squad selection, and five he should include.

In

Jarrad Branthwaite

Branthwaite is perhaps the most obvious inclusion.

The Everton defender has continued to develop into one of the Premier League’s most reliable young centre-backs, and his physicality would give England something different at the back.

At just 24 years of age, he has managed just one cap for his country, a 3-0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina. But as he continues to feature for Everton, the defender is starting to mould into a colossus at the back, and could become a feature in the England squad for years to come.

Lewis Hall

Hall was possibly one of the most shocking exclusions of the 2026 World Cup squad, with Tuchel preferring to bring Newcastle teammate Tino Livramento instead.

At just 22, the left-back represents England’s future in the position, and he will be desperate to get some more minutes under his belt.

Hall has also continued to mature at club level, and there is little reason why England should not be looking at one of the country’s more promising young defenders.

Alex Scott

A bright, exciting young talent with a creative flair and ability to hold his own against players bigger than him, Scott offers a spark of inventiveness in the middle of the park that you seldom see from players.

Tuhel was the manager to give him his first England call-up in November of last year, but the Bournemouth midfielder did not appear in either match against Serbia or Albania.

"Alex deserves to be with us," Tuchel said when he called him up. "I first saw him closely in the Euros with the Under-21s where he was excellent together with Elliot Anderson.

"Since then, he has stepped up really well and is a regular starter for Bournemouth.”

With some hard fixtures coming up, this will be a chance for Scott to finally be on the team sheet.

Cole Palmer

Another shock exclusion: Palmer may not have had the most successful last season, but the young creative mesh of midfielder and attacker is someone that should be on every team sheet.

The Chelsea star has rocked England since he moved to the London club from Manchester City three years ago, and many were dismayed when they did see him receive a call-up.

With his strong start to life in the 2026/27 season, it will be hard to see Tuchel leaving him out of another squad.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Two years ago, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was as far away from the England team as anybody was.

Stuck in a drab Everton team that had not finished in the top eight since the 2018/19 season, Calvert-Lewin managed just 18 goals in his past four seasons before swapping Merseyside for West Yorkshire as the striker joined Leeds United.

It took him a while to get started, scoring just one goal in his first 10 league fixtures, but then in a month-long period between the 29th November and 28th December, he netted seven goal in six matches.

Calvert-Lewin finished the season with 15 goals in 39 matches—his second-best return—and has already netted four times in six matches this year.

Out

Tino Livramento

Livramento is an exciting young full-back, but coming back off a knee injury, it would be best to let the youngster rest rather than call him up for Nations League matches.

This season he has managed 78 minutes in three matches, with Newcastle playing six in all competitions already.

There is also the argument over whether he is good enough to start for England. Whilst Tuchel did not call Hall up for the World Cup, the general consensus is that Hall is superior to his teammate, and it is unlikely that Livramento pushes Reece James out of the starting lineup.

A few weeks' break will do the young fullback well as he looks to get back to full fitness.

Dan Burn

Burn became a hero of the England squad this summer, stepping up in vital moments to become an icon of the side.

The 6ft 7in defender would seemingly look more comfortable playing in net rather than outfield, but his six clearances against Mexico in the round of 16 proved his worth.

But let's get real, Burn is 34, will be 36 when the 2028 European Championship rolls around, and is already nursing an injury from the summer.

The defender had his moment in the sun, now let it rest.

Jordan Henderson

"I've heard lots of people say they want him around the place? For what? Does he do card tricks? Does he have a sing-song? Do quizzes in the evenings? What does he do?" A titillating piece of commentary by Roy Keane back in 2022 on Henderson’s inclusion in the England squad; four years on, these words feel particularly pertinent.

Henderson played just six minutes at the World Cup—mostly due to the fact he was low down the pecking order in midfield, but breaking his arm after attempting to vault over an advertising board did not help—and was brought as an almost team leader.

If Tuchel cannot find any other leaders in the squad and has to resort to bringing the Chelsea midfielder to help spur some life into the players, then he should just offer him a role as a coach instead.

Ivan Toney

Many were surprised when Toney was offered a position in the final 26-man squad for the World Cup. The former Brentford striker has had a polarising career. On the one hand, he is an electric forward who strikes fear into the heart of opposition defenders when he is at his brightest; on the flip side, he had an eight-month ban for breaching gambling laws, and has plyed his trade in the Saudi Pro League for the past two years.

Toney still has the bright spark inside of him, but it has stagnated over his years in Saudi Arabia. Whilst the striker has done well for himself—scoring 82 goals in 102 games, winning the AFC Champions League in successive seasons, and earning himself a bucket load of money—it may be time for him to make way for the next generation of strikers in England.

Ollie Watkins

Watkins has been a valuable player for England, but competition for places is brutal.

His pace and movement remain useful, yet England cannot carry players simply because they have performed well in previous squads. Tuchel needs to keep refreshing his options.

With the 30-year-old recently completing a move to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, it leaves an opportunity open for the likes of Calvert-Lewin.

It may be the end of the line for the former Aston Villa strikers England career.

Joe Ryan
Joe Ryan Features Journalist

Joe Ryan - Features Journalist at Football Park

Joe is a writer at Football Parrk with more than a year of experience covering football. His work has appeared across the Football Writers' Association, Dave.Sport, GiveMeSport, The Non-League Paper, and Football Park.

A journalism graduate from the University of Kent, Joe was shortlisted for both the Football Writers' Association Hugh McIlvanney Young Sports Writer of the Year Award and the Chartered Institute of Journalists Young Sports Writer of the Year Award, recognising his emerging talent in sports journalism.

Away from football, Joe is an avid sports fan with a particular passion for hurling, Gaelic football, cycling, and basketball

His work spans topics such as the cultural impact of football gambling, the enduring legacy of Manchester United’s 1957 European Cup clash with Athletic Bilbao, and the 2024 Subbueto World Cup.

At Football Park, Joe has produced more than 50 articles where he has interviewed the likes of the United Strand and Karel Prince.

To contact Joe:

Email - [email protected]

Twitter/X - https://x.com/JoeRyan1203

Portfolio - https://joeryan.journoportfolio.com/

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