Thomas Tuchel will name his penultimate england squad for the two March friendlies on Friday, a move that will give a major hint about who could be on the plane for this summer’s World Cup. He will reveal the selection on Friday at 6: 00 ET for matches against Uruguay on March 27 and Japan on March 31. Tuchel has largely kept a settled starting eleven through qualifying, but selection dilemmas remain over midfield roles and the centre-back pairing.
England Squad: who looks nailed on — and who is pushing
The england squad that has emerged under Tuchel features a core seven who are described as near enough nailed on to start: Jordan Pickford, Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane. That settled spine, built through a perfect qualifying run of eight wins from eight, gives Tuchel a base from which to finalise his World Cup plans.
At the same time, competition for places has shifted certain roles. Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers started five of England’s eight group games in qualifying and has become the first-choice number 10 in the manager’s plans during that period. The composition of the england squad for the friendlies will signal whether those roles remain fixed or whether others will be given a chance to stake a claim.
Key dilemmas: number 10, fitness and defensive pairings
One of the most discussed questions since Tuchel took charge has been how he handles Jude Bellingham and the battle for the number 10 position. Bellingham missed the October camp with an injury and has not played since February 1; he is 22 and has produced defining moments for England in recent tournaments, including a late bicycle kick against Slovakia at Euro 2024 and an assist in the final. Morgan Rogers’ progress has complicated the selection picture for the england squad.
Cole Palmer’s game time under Tuchel has been extremely limited this season, amounting to just 65 minutes, and Phil Foden’s role remains unclear after being called up as a back-up striker in the previous camp and providing an assist from that position in the November win at Wembley. Those availability and role questions will shape how Tuchel finalises the england squad ahead of the tournament.
Defensively, the first-choice centre-back partnership is still unsettled. Tuchel has publicly praised John Stones but Stones’ fitness has been a limiting factor, making him available for only four of England’s 10 matches under the new manager. Ezri Konsa started six qualifiers and is certain to be part of the backline. Marc Guehi missed two international camps through injury but was a standout performer at Euro 2024 and later won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace before moving to Manchester City — all factors Tuchel must weigh when choosing his centre-back options for the england squad.
Immediate reactions and what Tuchel says
Thomas Tuchel, England manager, framed his selection philosophy around player roles and competition: “Rather than finding positions for my best players just so that I can have them on the field, I prefer to put everyone in their best positions and have some competition. ” That line underlines why the upcoming selection for the england squad is being treated as a strategic step rather than a formality.
What happens next
The squad announcement at 6: 00 ET on Friday will be the penultimate public step before Tuchel makes his final World Cup selection. The composition of the england squad for the Uruguay and Japan friendlies will be scrutinized for clues on starting roles, back-up options and how fitness issues are being managed; Tuchel will then use the March fixtures as his immediate assessment window before trimming to a final tournament roster.
