Chief football writerPublished13 minutes ago26 CommentsEngland concluded the so-called 'Send-Off Series' before the World Cup with defeat against Japan at Wembley.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel named a split 35-man squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan to get a close-up look at his wider England options.
He must whittle that number down to 26 as England accelerate planning for their opening World Cup game against Croatia on 17 June in Arlington, Texas.
Tuchel will digest the food for thought that England's friendlies have given him as he finalises his plans.
He will then make his picks - but for now this is my 26-man England squad to take to the World Cup.
GOALKEEPERS: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford.
DEFENDERS: Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Tino Livramento, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Nico O'Reilly, Lewis Hall.
MIDFIELD: Jude Bellingham, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo.
FORWARDS: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer, Danny Welbeck, Jarrod Bowen.
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Tuchel will have the vast majority of his squad already fixed in his mind and those certain selections form an experienced bedrock he will count on at the World Cup.
England's spine will be familiar trusted lieutenants of both Tuchel and his predecessor Sir Gareth Southgate, such as goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, and Manchester City's Marc Guehi alongside club-mate John Stones if fit.
And of course the other mainstays, Declan Rice and Harry Kane.
Ezri Konsa has proved he is perfectly at home at international level and is likely to start alongside Guehi if Stones does not make it.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The fitness of John Stones will be under scrutiny as the World Cup approaches - a class act with great experience at major tournaments
Arsenal's Rice will be the high-class hub of England's midfield, with Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa fighting for the number 10 position. Bellingham would be my starter.
England captain and all-time record scorer Kane remains irreplaceable - as shown against Uruguay and Japan - as the main striker, while Bukayo Saka's quality and major tournament experience make him an automatic choice.
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Jordan Pickford remains unchallenged as England's first choice, while Crystal Palace's Dean Henderson has emerged as a confident and able deputy.
James Trafford gets the nod as the third keeper because he is not only a future England number one, but he demonstrated his sound temperament in Manchester City's Carabao Cup final win against Arsenal at Wembley.
He is vastly superior to Newcastle United pair Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale, making his inclusion an easy decision.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Manchester City's James Trafford has shown enough to be the third goalkeeper England head coach Thomas Tuchel takes to the World Cup
Tino Livramento's ability to play at full-back on both sides will make him a valuable member of the squad, while West Ham's Jarrod Bowen goes not just because of his ability, but because his attitude and selflessness are vital ingredients in a squad environment at a major tournament.
Stones is only mentioned in this grouping because there are continuing doubts about his fitness. If fit, he is not only in my squad but starts.
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Harry Maguire looks to have a fight on his hands to make the squad after Tuchel appeared to suggest four defenders were ahead of him in the pecking order, in Stones, Guehi, Konsa and - surprisingly - Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah.
The first three have been established since Maguire fell away from the England scene, but he is now back and has proved his worth and strength of character.
Given Stones' fragility, Maguire would be a common-sense pick, if not as a first choice, then as experienced back-up who has been the course and distance at major tournaments before.
He will not only offer defensive cover, but has proved he can be an attacking weapon, albeit a very basic one, if it comes to a desperate search for a goal.
Maguire is my selection ahead of Newcastle United's Dan Burn, who has struggled on his England appearances.
Is Adam Wharton a Tuchel player? The jury still seems out on the gifted Crystal Palace midfielder with the languid style.
Class still speaks and he has lots of it, especially in his passing range, so I am going for him in this squad - whether Tuchel shares that view remains to be seen.
Newcastle United's Lewis Hall is a natural left-back, which will be of value, and he showed his quality in a lively cameo against Japan.
And while Tuchel appears certain to pick Brentford's Jordan Henderson - 36 on the day of England's first World Cup game - for his value as a leader setting an example, I am going for the younger midfield option in Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo, even though he was nowhere near his best against Japan, especially when England were not in possession.
Mainoo has been revitalised under Michael Carrick at Manchester United after being marginalised by former head coach Ruben Amorim.
This is a very tough call on Henderson (who Tuchel will pick anyway) but I believe one experienced old head who may not start if everyone is fit but offers influence around the squad - in this case Maguire - is enough.
What information do we collect from this quiz?Chelsea's Cole Palmer showed his quality with a goal in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin and has the sort of mercurial talent that could give England an X-factor in the World Cup.
I go for him ahead of Manchester City's Phil Foden, whose season has lost momentum at club level and who struggled when he started in the friendly against Uruguay at Wembley. He should not be criticised for failing to shine as a false nine against Japan because it is a role he is unfamiliar with.
They both under-performed against Japan but Palmer's game-changing talent, not to mention his penalty expertise, gets him in my squad. Foden, meanwhile, just does not look at home as an England player for one so lavishly talented.
I also gave genuine consideration to Everton's James Garner as a 'bolter' making a late dash for inclusion after an accomplished England introduction, a midfielder who can also play right-back. Tuchel is a big admirer but has plenty to choose from in this position.
And then the big one. The biggest dilemma and the biggest concern for Tuchel.
Harry Kane's world-class performances mark him down in a league of his own as England's main striker, with an outstanding record of 78 goals in 112 appearances.
If Kane suffered an injury before or during the World Cup, the drop-off in quality and international pedigree is alarming.
Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin did not make the strongest cases for being his understudy in the two friendlies, while Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins was not included in a 35-man squad.
The idea of having Foden as Kane's central striking understudy is now a non-starter after the experiment of using him as a false nine against Japan was cut short after less than an hour.
So I am going for a short-term solution with a striker who has excelled for England, but has not made a full international appearance since September 2018, in a 1–0 friendly win against Switzerland at King Power Stadium.
Brighton's Danny Welbeck is the highest-placed Englishman in the Premier League goalscoring charts with 12.
He still has the ability; adding that to his know-how and the superb character of a man who was always highly popular with his England team-mates, I would put him in my squad.
This will not be Tuchel's pick - but there are still places up for grabs.
Djed Spence, Dan Burn, Luke Shaw, Fikayo Tomori, Jarell Quansah, Jordan Henderson, James Garner, Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ben White
Some of these players, especially Dan Burn and Jordan Henderson, are still contenders to make the final cut of 26 for the World Cup and could well get the nod from Tuchel, if not from me.
Others here are relying on injuries to others, or doing something special in the next few weeks to persuade Tuchel they are worth taking as a late 'bolter'.
