Tuchel snubs Foden and Maguire in first England squad after World Cup

Thomas Tuchel has announced his first squad since the World Cup, and as is often the case with these call-ups, what stands out isn't just who's in, but who's missing. The German manager has named 27 players for England's upcoming four Nations League matches: they'll host Spain, play a home-and-away series against Czechia, and wrap up against Croatia.

The big positive news is the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer, two players who were left out of the World Cup and now find their way back into the group. But as we mentioned, there's another side to this story, and that's where the squad list gets interesting.

Foden, the biggest omission

If there's one name that stands out for his talent, it's Phil Foden. He might be, without exaggeration, the most gifted player left off this list. The Manchester City man was a fixture in England squads for years, but his absence isn't exactly coming out of nowhere: he lost his footing at his own club, already missed out on the World Cup, and this season hasn't given anyone a reason to reconsider, including that red card in the Manchester derby.

Harry Maguire's case is different, more personal. Given how he reacted to being left out of the World Cup squad, it was always going to be tough for Tuchel to simply reverse course. The Manchester United defender himself admitted at the time that he was "shocked and gutted" by the decision, and his mother, Zoe, went as far as saying she was "disgusted." Tuchel acknowledged that Maguire's reaction caught him off guard, and since then the door to the national team has remained essentially shut, barring a truly exceptional run of form.

The midfield logjam

Another player left waiting is Adam Wharton. After breaking into Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad, it looked like he'd fill the gap left by Jordan Henderson. Reality played out differently: Elliot Anderson has jumped ahead of him in the pecking order, Myles Lewis-Skelly has already made a name for himself as a midfielder, and Alex Scott has also entered the conversation. The Crystal Palace man might feel more unlucky than lacking in quality, caught in an England midfield that's now packed with competition.

Morgan Gibbs-White keeps running into the same wall as always: Jude Bellingham. He's an excellent player, but he isn't at the level of his Real Madrid compatriot, and this summer's World Cup only confirmed as much. Bellingham is untouchable, and since the rest of Tuchel's options for the No. 10 role (Palmer, Rogers, Eze) can also play out wide, Gibbs-White faces a steep climb to force his way in.

Noni Madueke also misses out, though this isn't the first time he's raised doubts: it happened when he moved to Arsenal from Chelsea, and it happened again when he was named in the World Cup squad for this summer's tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico. In both cases he ended up proving he can contribute at a top club. But Rio Ngumoha may have a higher ceiling, and his emergence as an option on the right wing, both for the national team before the World Cup and at Liverpool this season, suggests Tuchel is already looking ahead.

And speaking of looking ahead: there's no room either for Max Dowman. The young Arsenal talent is often compared to Ngumoha as one of the Premier League's two brightest prospects, though the comparison is a bit unfair to him: he's 16 years old, about 16 months younger than his Liverpool counterpart, and despite scoring a brace this week against Ipswich Town, Tuchel seems determined not to rush his development.