England manager Thomas Tuchel has made significant changes to his squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Andorra and Serbia, most notably dropping defender Trent Alexander-Arnold just days after he lost his starting place at Real Madrid. However, Marcus Rashford, currently on loan at Barcelona, secures a recall.

The reshuffle sees several established names excluded, including Kyle Walker, Ivan Toney, and Conor Gallagher, who were part of the June camp. That gathering saw England labour to a 1-0 win in Andorra before a surprising home defeat to Senegal. Additionally, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, and Harry Maguire remain absent from the selection.

Injuries rule out Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Levi Colwill, and Trevoh Chalobah. Despite these absences, Tuchel has opted for fresh talent, awarding first senior call-ups to Newcastle United midfielder Elliot Anderson and Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence. Promising youngsters Tino Livramento and Adam Wharton are also included.

Key figures Marc Guehi, John Stones, Jarrod Bowen, and Ollie Watkins return after missing the previous international window.

Tuchel explained his decisions, stating a desire for the squad to "bring more energy" than displayed in June. He specifically highlighted Anderson and Wharton: "It's time for a bit of fresh blood. We called both up because we think they both deserve it. They played big roles in two successful campaigns for their clubs last season."

Addressing the omissions of Alexander-Arnold and Grealish, Tuchel affirmed his admiration: "There is no doubt I'm a big fan of Trent and Jack, of their talent and personalities, they will always be big players and in the mix to be called up... But for this camp we decided on Reece [James] and Tino [Livramento], and on Jack's position Rashy, Anthony [Gordon] and Ebs [Eze]. The competition is up." He suggested both players needed time to find rhythm after recent club changes and preseasons.

Sky Sports News' Rob Dorsett analysed the selection as Tuchel "stamping his authority" and moving beyond the "experimentation" phase towards building a serious World Cup squad, highlighting the midfield battle forming between Anderson and Wharton.

England Squad in Full

  • Goalkeepers: Pickford, Henderson, Trafford
  • Defenders: Burn, Guehi, James, Konsa, Lewis-Skelly, Livramento, Spence, Stones
  • Midfielders: Anderson, Gibbs-White, Henderson, Rice, Rogers, Wharton
  • Attackers: Bowen, Eze, Gordon, Kane, Madueke, Rashford, Watkins

Upcoming Fixtures

  • Sep 6: England vs Andorra (H) - World Cup Qualifier (17:00)
  • Sep 9: Serbia vs England (A) - World Cup Qualifier (19:45)
  • Oct 9: England vs Wales (H) - Friendly (19:45)
  • Oct 14: Latvia vs England (A) - World Cup Qualifier (19:45)
  • Nov 13: England vs Serbia (H) - World Cup Qualifier (19:45)
  • Nov 16: Albania vs England (A) - World Cup Qualifier (17:00)

Tags:

#Thomas Tuchel #Marcus Rashford #Trent Alexander-Arnold #England National Team #World Cup Qualifiers