Image source, Getty Images
Image caption, England head coach Thomas Tuchel caused a stir by leaving Jude Bellingham out of his last squad
By
Chief football writer in Riga
England confirmed qualification for next summer’s World Cup with victory over Latvia, enabling head coach Thomas Tuchel to start finalising his plans as the countdown to the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico continues.
Competition for places will be intense, with disappointment inevitable for some of those who have played a part in England’s smooth qualifying campaign.
The jockeying for positions will continue over the next months – so who are those players with something to prove to Tuchel as he considers England’s squad to take to the World Cup?
Jude Bellingham
It is inconceivable that Jude Bellingham will not be part of England’s squad at the World Cup but does the Real Madrid star, who is arguably the biggest global name available to Tuchel, still have something to prove to the head coach?
The recent evidence on and off the pitch suggests he does.
It all stems from Bellingham being left out of England’s latest squad despite telling Tuchel he wanted to be included, to the constant narrative of team spirit and the excellence of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers in the number 10 role.
England’s next squad for what are effectively dead rubbers against Serbia and Albania will now have one main point of interest, namely whether Bellingham is included.
If he is, Bellingham will return to duty having been made acutely aware by Tuchel that there is no star system, no special cases, no automatic route back into England’s team.
And it will also come after it has been made crystal clear that Tuchel’s England world does not revolved around Bellingham and how best to utilise his undoubted talent.
Bellingham is not exactly starting again with England – the odds will still be on him being in the line-up their first game in next summer’s World Cup – but he has to prove to Tuchel that he can be part of the team spirit the German cherishes, and that he deserves his place back in the side.
The England star famously mouthed “who else?” when scoring a spectacular stoppage-time overhead kick when England beat Slovakia in the last 16 at Euro 2024, but he now knows there are others Tuchel is willing to consider.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer’s England career has, so far, been a mixed bag ranging from the moment of brilliance that gave England hope with the equaliser against Spain in what was eventually a losing cause in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, to other occasions when he has left even supporters of his superb talent wanting more.
Palmer’s current problem is a lingering groin injury. Further down the line it will be the Chelsea star performing in consistently eye-catching fashion that might persuade Tuchel to find a place for the 23-year-old in what is already a crowded area.
Tuchel is unlikely to start fitting square pegs in round holes so close to a major tournament – therefore Palmer, who has only played 64 minutes under the German, has work to do.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption, Cole Palmer celebrates scoring for England in the Euro 2024 final against Spain in Berlin
He is unlikely to get in as the 10, with Rogers currently in possession and Bellingham waiting in the wings.
It is hard to see a place on the flanks, where he is less effective, with Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford contenders on the left and Arsenal pair Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke fighting for a place on the right.
This effectively means Palmer will have to produce a spectacular run of form to force his way back into Tuchel’s thinking.
Phil Foden
Manchester City’s brilliant 25-year-old was, along with Bellingham, a stand-out exclusion from Tuchel’s squad for the friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier against Latvia in Riga.
Foden, who has won two caps under Tuchel, has been rebuilding form and confidence with an excellent start to the season after a poor campaign last term.
And he will do all this with his sights set on the World Cup.
He was a permanent fixture in Sir Gareth Southgate’s plans up to Euro 2024, but getting Foden and Bellingham in the same team was often a struggle and never felt like a neat fit at the time, with the former often out on the left rather than his preferred central role.
No-one, least of all Tuchel, can ignore Foden’s talent but he must continue to impress to reclaim what was once an automatic place in England’s squad.
Like Palmer, Foden operates in what is now a congested place under Tuchel, whether it is in the centre or pushed out wide.
Never rule a player of Foden’s quality out, but he has a fight on his hands to make England’s World Cup squad.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
This ship may have already sailed.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s World Cup hopes were already in deep trouble even before he sustained the hamstring injury that has interrupted the start to his Real Madrid career.
If Alexander-Arnold has been looking for signs of a bright England future under Tuchel, then not many of them are promising.
He played former Liverpool team-mate Curtis Jones, a midfield player, ahead of him at right-back in the 1-0 win away to Andorra then dropped Alexander-Arnold completely for the return World Cup qualifiers with Andorra and visit to Serbia.
This came after Tuchel appeared to pub
Read More