Who makes the plane for England's World Cup bid?

Lawrence Ostlere on Tuchel's embarrassment of riches

- Lawrence Ostlere

England have only two more camps before Thomas Tuchel names his squad for the 2026 World Cup, and plenty is still up in the air.

England’s 5-0 win over Latvia secured their place at the tournament, and they will reconvene in November for their final two qualifiers against Serbia at Wembley and Albania in Tirana.

Tuchel won’t see his squad again until some friendlies in March, after which he will have just a few weeks to finalise his group to take to USA, Canada and Mexico in June.

The manager has made clear that he wants to build a squad with clearly defined roles, and two players for every position on the pitch, plus three flexible and versatile additions to round out the 26.

But there remain major questions over the fullback positions, the composition of midfield and the plethora of wingers and No 10s to whittle down - with some big names almost certain to miss out.

So who will Thomas Tuchel select in his 26-man squad?

On the plane

Jordan Pickford: The Everton keeper was Gareth Southgate’s No 1 and has maintained top spot under Thomas Tuchel.

John Stones: Tuchel named the Manchester City centre-back as one of his “captains” and, if he is fit, Stones will start every World Cup game at the heart of England’s defence.

Marc Guehi: The Crystal Palace captain lined up alongside Stones at last year’s Euros and remains his most likely partner next summer.

Ezri Konsa: The Aston Villa centre-back appears to have cemented his place as one of Tuchel’s most reliable options, having played more minutes under the German manager than any other defender.

Elliot Anderson: Tuchel has made clear that Anderson is the leading candidate to play in England’s holding role position.