England manager, Thomas Tuchel has announced his 24-man squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, with high-profile omissions and surprise inclusions dominating the headlines.
Real Madrid’s new signing, Trent Alexander-Arnold, has been left out despite being part of Tuchel’s last squad.
The 26-year-old right-back, who joined Madrid from Liverpool in the summer, was benched during his side’s 3-0 win at Real Oviedo on Sunday and now finds himself sidelined for England duty as well. His exclusion comes as a major talking point, especially with the World Cup less than a year away.
Tuchel has instead handed first senior call-ups to Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson and Tottenham right-back Djed Spence.
Anderson, 22, has impressed since moving to Forest in July 2024 and was a key figure in England’s Under-21 Euros triumph earlier this summer. Spence, meanwhile, has been rewarded for his consistency at Tottenham, where he has missed just five games since his full Premier League debut in December 2023.
While there are recalls for Marcus Rashford and Adam Wharton, several notable names miss out. Jack Grealish, despite a strong showing for Everton last weekend, was overlooked, as were Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, and Ivan Toney.
Injuries have also ruled out Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, and Levi Colwill. Jordan Henderson, however, retains his place at 35, continuing to be one of Tuchel’s trusted midfield options alongside Declan Rice and Morgan Gibbs-White.
England begin their campaign at Villa Park on Saturday, 6 September, when they host Andorra, ranked 174th in the world by FIFA.
It will be England’s first senior match at Aston Villa’s ground since a goalless draw against the Netherlands in 2005.
Four days later, the Three Lions travel to Belgrade to face Serbia in what is expected to be a tougher test.
Tuchel’s side currently top Group K with three wins from three but are eager to bounce back after a 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal in June.
The squad announcement marks another setback for Alexander-Arnold, whose adaptation to life at Real Madrid has already come under scrutiny in Spain.
England squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Dean Henderson
Defenders: Reece James, Marc Guehi, John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Tino Livramento, Djed Spence.
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson, Adam Wharton, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Ollie Watkins.
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