Phil Foden and Cole Palmer won’t be in England’s 26-player World Cup squad, along with three other well-known players.
Some big names like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Adam Wharton, and Lewis Hall won’t be joining this summer’s World Cup, as Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man England squad doesn’t include them.
It’s been a tough season for Foden. The 25-year-old scored 10 goals in 49 games for Manchester City, but his last goal was back in December. Because of this, he’s lost his spot in Pep Guardiola’s team. Guardiola recently said Foden will “explode” once he falls in love with football again.
Foden himself said, “I had a good first half of the season but dropped off a bit. I struggled to get into the team, especially with so many great players around.” Even though he wasn’t starting much, Tuchel picked him for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in April. But Foden didn’t shine and got substituted before the 60-minute mark in both games.
Tuchel said later that Foden wasn’t a sure pick for the World Cup. “Phil tried hard. He was great in training but couldn’t show it fully on the pitch,” Tuchel explained. “He hasn’t played much for City recently but came to camp with a big smile and good energy. We hoped he’d surprise us, but it was tough for him to make a real impact.”
Foden has 49 caps for England and has shown flashes of brilliance for City lately. He set up two of the three goals in their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on May 13, which impressed Guardiola a lot. But on Thursday, news came out that he won’t be part of England’s World Cup team, along with Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, who also struggled this season.
Journalist Ben Jacobs says Palmer, Levi Colwill, and Adam Wharton are also set to miss out.
In a surprise, Harry Maguire didn’t make the squad either. The Manchester United defender, who has been playing well since Michael Carrick took over as manager in January, was shocked by the news. Maguire told talkSPORT, “I was confident I’d play a big part this summer. I’m shocked and gutted by the decision but wish the players all the best.”
On the brighter side, Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo looks likely to be included after finding good form under Carrick. Tino Livramento, Ivan Toney, and Noni Madueke have also been picked by Tuchel, according to The Athletic. But Luke Shaw and Everton’s in-form James Garner didn’t make the cut.
Newcastle full-back Lewis Hall, who had a strong Premier League season, is also expected to be left out, reports talkSPORT.