England manager Thomas Tuchel is set to leave out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire when he names his 26-man squad for the FIFA 2026 World Cup on Friday.
Manchester United defender Maguire admitted he was “shocked and gutted” after learning of the decision.
“I was confident I could have played a major part this summer for my country after the season I’ve had,” Maguire wrote on Instagram. “I’ve been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I wish the players all the best.”
Ollie Watkins is expected to be included after helping Aston Villa FC win the Europa League on Wednesday, alongside Ivan Toney, who has scored 32 goals in 32 matches for Al-Ahli Saudi FC this season.
However, Morgan Gibbs-White is reportedly set to miss out despite being one of the Premier League’s top-scoring English players this season with 14 goals.
Foden and Palmer, both of whom can operate as attacking midfielders or forwards, have endured inconsistent campaigns with Manchester City and Chelsea, respectively.
Maguire’s Manchester United teammate Luke Shaw is also expected to be omitted despite calls for his inclusion after an impressive season.
Instead, Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly are reportedly in line for selection.
Levi Colwill and Fikayo Tomori are also expected to miss out, although Noni Madueke is likely to make the final squad.
Madueke is expected to join fellow Premier League champions Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze in the squad.
Kobbie Mainoo is expected to retain his place after earning a recall for England’s recent friendlies, while Jordan Henderson is also likely to keep his spot under Tuchel.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, begins on June 11.
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