The most prominent returnees are Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold, both of whom missed the World Cup squad. At the same time, several established names are absent, most notably Phil Foden. Alex Scott could also make his senior international debut.
Kane, Bellingham and Rice remain the key figures
Tuchel has made few changes to the basic hierarchy. Captain Harry Kane remains the central leadership figure and undisputed focal point in attack. Behind him, Jude Bellingham continues to be the creative heartbeat of the side, while Declan Rice provides balance and stability in midfield. Bukayo Saka remains first choice on the right wing, with Jordan Pickford still the No.1 goalkeeper.
Marc Guéhi is also likely to take on an even greater role because of the absences in defence. John Stones, Dan Burn and Djed Spence are all unavailable through injury. That leaves Guéhi and Ezri Konsa among the most experienced centre-backs in the current squad.
One of the key questions will be how Tuchel distributes the creative responsibility in attacking midfield. Alongside Bellingham, he can call upon Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze, all of whom are comfortable operating as a No.10. Kobbie Mainoo also retains his place despite not featuring at all during the World Cup.
Palmer and Alexander-Arnold return
Cole Palmer’s return is another interesting development, although it comes as little surprise after his excellent start to the season. The Chelsea midfielder missed the World Cup following a campaign disrupted by injuries and inconsistent form.
His response has been emphatic: four goals and two assists at the start of the new season have earned him another opportunity. Palmer’s ability to find space between the lines and influence matches in the final third gives Tuchel another high-level creative option.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has had to wait even longer. The Real Madrid right-back last played for England in June 2025 and has not been selected by Tuchel since. He now returns for the first time in over a year, partly because Reece James is unavailable. Alexander-Arnold’s exceptional passing range gives England a very different profile to Tino Livramento and could prove particularly useful against opponents defending deep.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is another notable inclusion. The Leeds striker has scored four goals in six matches this season and has been rewarded with another chance behind Kane in the pecking order. His last England appearance came in March. Lewis Hall, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jarrad Branthwaite have also returned to the squad.
Alex Scott still waiting for his debut
The most interesting potential debutant is Alex Scott. The 23-year-old was first called up to the senior squad in November 2025 but did not feature. He also joined the senior team’s pre-World Cup training camp in Florida without making his debut.
After a strong start to the season with Bournemouth, the central midfielder has now been given another opportunity. Scott combines technical quality with strong resistance to pressure and can operate both as a No.8 and in a slightly deeper role.
Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele is also yet to make his senior international debut, although his role is unusual. Tuchel already used him before the World Cup primarily as an additional training goalkeeper to support the rest of the group and absorb training workload. A debut therefore still appears less likely than in Scott’s case.
Rio Ngumoha, meanwhile, is no longer a potential debutant despite his age. The Liverpool youngster made his first senior appearance against New Zealand in June and, at 17, became the fifth-youngest player ever to represent England.
Foden left out again – Watkins and Toney also absent
With such a deep English player pool, omissions inevitably attract attention. Phil Foden is once again the most prominent absentee. The former Manchester City star already missed the World Cup and has again failed to earn a recall.
Morgan Gibbs-White, Adam Wharton and Levi Colwill are also missing. Fulham’s young midfielder Josh King, who trained with the senior team alongside Scott and Ngumoha before the World Cup, has not been selected either.
In attack, Tuchel has also left out World Cup squad members Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney. Instead, Calvert-Lewin gets the opportunity as Kane’s alternative. Several other notable World Cup players are unavailable through injury, including Stones, Burn, Spence, Dean Henderson and Jordan Henderson.
Four Nations League games in eleven days
England begin their Nations League campaign with the toughest fixture in Group A3. World champions Spain visit a sold-out Wembley on 26 September. Three days later, England travel to Prague to face Czechia.
On 3 October, the Three Lions take on Croatia in Rijeka, with the match to be played behind closed doors because of a UEFA sanction. Just three days later, on 6 October, England host Czechia at Wembley. The group stage concludes in November with a home game against Croatia and an away fixture against Spain.
Tuchel therefore has four competitive matches immediately after the World Cup to further shape his hierarchy. The core around Kane, Bellingham, Rice, Saka and Pickford remains intact, but the returns of Palmer and Alexander-Arnold, as well as opportunities for players such as Scott, show that many places remain far from settled ahead of the home European Championship in 2028.
England squad in full
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton FC), Jason Steele (Brighton & Hove Albion), James Trafford (Leeds United)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton FC), Trevoh Chalobah (Como 1907), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Ezri Konsa (Arsenal FC), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal FC), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea FC), Declan Rice (Arsenal FC), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)
Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal FC), Anthony Gordon (FC Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool FC), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea FC), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal FC)
