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  "path": "/sport/football/englands-world-cup-squad-thomas-tuchel-premier-league",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-09T15:11:17.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
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  "textContent": "\n\n\nWith 100 days until England's World Cup opener against Croatia, Thomas Tuchel will be thinking long and hard about which players will make the cut.\n\nThe familiar mix of optimism, expectation and quiet anxiety has already begun to surface as supporters dare to imagine whether this might finally be the summer when England’s long wait for glory ends.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe tournament, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the largest in World Cup history.\n\nYet, amid the expanded format and global spectacle, the focus at home remains the same: can England translate a generation of outstanding talent into the nation’s first major trophy since 1966?\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nNow led by Tuchel, the pressure to get it right is higher than ever.\n\nAt the centre of England’s hopes remain some key names that even the most unenthusiastic football watchers will cheer on.\n\nYou've got captain Harry Kane, starboy Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice, whom Tuchel will have already asked to prepare their passports and boarding passes. But who else should make the cut?\n\nGB News explores which unlikely Premier League stars might prove essential to ending the Three Lions' 60 years of hurt.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n### Elliot Anderson\n\n\n\n\nElliot Anderson has emerged as one of the Premier League's most statistically dominant midfielders this season.\n\nNow, transitioned into a complete box-to-box playmaker, excelling in both defensive stability and offensive progression – exactly what England have been calling out for.\n\nWith Declan Rice, typically dropping in a deeper role for his country, the Three Lions have long called out for a number eight.\n\nAnderson has won more ground duels (over 239) and made more ball recoveries (243) than almost any other Premier League midfielder this season.\n\nHe ranks in the 98th percentile for touches in the opposition penalty area and the 84th percentile for progressive passes.\n\nFollowing his UEFA U21 EURO success in 2025, Anderson was fast-tracked into the senior England squad by Thomas Tuchel and earned the Man of the Match award on his debut.\n\nHe last started just two games ago in a World Cup Qualifier against Serbia.\n\nWhilst it is hard to doubt he will be on the plane, Anderson remains a top pick for an unlikely star to emerge as an England hero.\n\n### Morgan Rogers\n\n\n\n\nUp the other end of the Premier League table, Morgan Rogers has established himself as an elite attacking playmaker, currently driving Aston Villa's push for a top-four finish.\n\nHe is Villa's leading scorer and assist-maker this season, has created 10 big chances in the Premier League and recorded a high volume of touches in the opposition penalty area (144).\n\nUsing his 6ft 2in frame to drive through midfield contact, Rogers ranks among the league's best for progressive carries (65) and successful dribbles.\n\nUnder Thomas Tuchel, Rogers looks the first choice to start in the number 10 role at the World Cup, potentially ahead of Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer.\n\nWhilst many fans will be drawn to the arguably bigger name of Bellingham, especially when he rescued England with a dramatic 95th-minute bicycle kick against Slovakia in the 2024 Euro Round of 16, Rogers looks like a favourite under Tuchel.\n\n### Eberechi Eze\n\n\n\n\nAnother midfield option at the hands of the England boss is Arsenal's Eberechi Eze, who has continued his world-class trajectory after securing a high-profile £67.5million summer move to the Emirates.\n\nHe remains one of the league's most prolific dribblers, completing nearly 60 per cent of his attempted take-ons, adding an exciting edge to a team that in recent tournaments can be quite rigid.\n\nAlthough the attacking midfielder does not always start for his club, he has so far netted six Premier League goals for Arsenal, five across two North London Derby clashes against Tottenham.\n\nA player who turns up most when the pressure is the highest should be exactly what Tuchel is looking for in his first major tournament selection.\n\nTuchel recognises this. Eze has become a regular fixture in the England squad, scoring crucial goals in World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Andorra.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n### Jared Bowen\n\n\n\n\nDespite England's overflowing talent on the attacking right flank, Jared Bowen has consistently featured in Tuchel's Three Lions squads.\n\nFeaturing in four of England's successful World Cup qualifiers while competing with Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, the West Ham talisman is on the cusp of becoming a global superstar.\n\nDespite West Ham's struggles in the bottom half of the table, he recently broke the club record for all-time Premier League goal involvements and has become a top transfer target for big six clubs.\n\nHe is currently the joint-second highest-scoring Englishman in the Premier League this season with eight goals, trailing only Dominic Calvert-Lewin.\n\nThe attacker's versatility could also see him become the difference-maker in England's quest for glory.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n### Ollie Watkins\n\n\n\n\nUnlike most players on this list, Ollie Watkins, who once looked like a clear choice to take to the tournament, is currently in poor form and has seen a significant decline in goal-scoring efficiency.\n\nAfter a career-best of 16 goals and eight assists last season, Watkins has struggled for consistency with Aston Villa.\n\nHe has recorded eight goals and one assist in 28 Premier League matches this season.\n\nWith Dominic Solanke, Ivan Toney, and even Dominic Calvert-Lewin challenging for his spot, his recent struggles have placed his squad position under intense scrutiny.\n\nHowever, England lacks a natural number two striker behind Kane, so Watkins still seems like the best choice.\n\n### Harvey Barnes\n\n\n\n\nHarvey Barnes has been a standout performer for Newcastle United this season, often filling in effectively for injured teammates like Anthony Gordon.\n\nHe has recorded 12 goals and four assists across all competitions, including some impressive performances in the Champions League.\n\nHe has only one senior cap, when he made his debut six years ago, and faces stiff competition from established regulars like Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon.\n\nIn February 2026, Barnes officially rejected an approach from Scotland to play in the 2026 World Cup, choosing instead to fight for a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad.\n\nTuchel will now face calls to reward this decision, and maybe Barnes can return the favour and cement himself in Three Lions folklore with a World Cup-winning goal off the bench.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "With 100 days until England's World Cup opener, Thomas Tuchel needs six unlikely Premier League stars to achieve glory"
}