England: England manager Thomas Tuchel has named his squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, with notable absences including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and Kyle Walker.
The squad sees maiden call-ups for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliott Anderson and Tottenham full-back Djed Spence, alongside returns for Jarrod Bowen, Marc Guehi, Tino Livramento, Marcus Rashford, John Stones, and Adam Wharton. Injuries ruled out Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and Bukayo Saka.
Tuchel explained Alexander-Arnold’s omission was due to defensive concerns, while Foden has played just 16 minutes this season following an ankle injury. Grealish, who recently joined Everton on loan, has struggled for consistent game time.
“They will stay in the mix,” Tuchel said of Alexander-Arnold and Grealish. “I know how desperate they are to come back. The competition is up.”
Anderson impressed at the UEFA Under-21 Championship, helping England edge Germany 3-2 in the final, while Spence played a key role in Tottenham’s UEFA Europa League triumph.
England currently leads Group K after wins over Albania, Latvia, and Andorra. They face Andorra at Villa Park on 6 September and Serbia in Belgrade on 9 September.