England squad: Thomas Tuchel has Ben White available as key players face busy period with Club World Cup
Thomas Tuchel names his England squad on Friday for World Cup qualifier with Andorra on June 7 and Senegal friendly on June 10; Club World Cup begins four days later; Arsenal's Ben White available again but Phil Foden has requested to be rested after difficult season
Friday 23 May 2025 10:08, UK
The Club World Cup complicates Thomas Tuchel's plans for the upcoming international break - but there could be a long-awaited recall for Arsenal's Ben White.
On Friday, the Three Lions boss will announce his selections for the World Cup qualifier with Andorra, which takes place in Barcelona on June 7, and the friendly against Senegal at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on June 10.
However, players at Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich will also be involved in the relaunched Club World Cup, which kicks off in the USA on June 14.
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Captain Harry Kane, Chelsea star Cole Palmer and Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham are among the England first-team players who could find themselves with a busy period ahead, while it is understood Real Madrid are also looking into a deal with Liverpool to allow Trent Alexander-Arnold to link up with them in time for the Club World Cup.
Chelsea's players will also be involved in the Conference League final on Wednesday May 28, while Manchester United players will be going on a two-game post-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong immediately after the end of the Premier League season.
Tuchel intends to have a week-long training camp with his players in Spain ahead of the qualifier with Andorra and sees this as a crucial opportunity to implement his tactical ideas, having highlighted how important each international window is for him ahead of the World Cup next year, when England will be targeting victory.
One option could be that players involved in the Club World Cup link up with the England squad for the training camp and qualifier, and are then permitted to skip the friendly and have a short break before heading to the States. But Tuchel did say in March that he would prioritise England objectives during international windows.
"It would be the wrong signal to tell players now, 'Hey, you have tough [club] matches coming up so I rest you now'," he said. "In the end we take care of ourselves and the clubs take care of themselves, and the main focus is taking care of the players."
Bellingham is set for shoulder surgery after the Club World Cup, which will rule him out of the start of next season, but could play through the pain barrier to represent his country and then compete for Real in the USA.
White to return - but Foden rested?
White has not been involved with an England squad since leaving the 2022 World Cup camp during Gareth Southgate's reign. However, his international exile could be about to come to an end, with the defender indicating he is eager to get back into the mix and that he has had positive conversations with Tuchel. White missed much of this season following knee surgery but is back in action now.
However, Phil Foden has requested not to be included in this England squad so he has the chance to get himself mentally and physically right after, in his own words, struggling with issues off the field and with an ankle injury he sustained in the Manchester derby in April.
Among other attacking options, Marcus Rashford - who started both of Tuchel's first games in charge - was ruled out of the rest of Aston Villa's season, where he's on loan from Manchester United, but is working on returning to fitness after a hamstring injury.
His Villa team-mate Ollie Watkins should get the call, though. Watkins agreed with Tuchel to rest a minor knee issue in March, but is finishing the season strongly and will be aiming to push Bundesliga winner Kane for a starting role.
Key man Bukayo Saka will definitely be back in the mix after returning to fitness at Arsenal.
Morgan Gibbs-White was belatedly added to Tuchel's squad in March when it became clear Palmer would not recover from injury in time to join up with the squad and will hope to get another reward for his good performances for Forest.
Crystal Palace's FA Cup winner Eberechi Eze also looks sure of a spot given his brilliant form. He has scored nine goals and recorded three assists in 12 games for Palace since netting his first international goal against Latvia.
Elsewhere, Jordan Henderson missed out on the Dutch title with Ajax but was recalled to the England set-up in March after over a year away from the group, with Tuchel keen to lean on his experience. The indications are he will be involved again.
It was a similar story with Kyle Walker, on loan at AC Milan from Man City, but he has since struggled with form and fitness in Italy.
Centre-back stalwart Harry Maguire should return though, having shaken off injury problems which saw him miss out against Albania and Latvia and reclaim a starting spot for Man Utd. Marc Guehi's head injury, sustained in the FA Cup final, could keep him out and open up a centre-back spot.
Mason Mount was a Tuchel favourite when they were both at Chelsea and will have ambitions of being at the World Cup next year. Have his performances for United impressed Tuchel enough in recent weeks to earn him a recall to the national team?
Eighteen-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly is a certainty to be included again after he became the youngest-scoring debutant for England against Albania, although Luke Shaw's return to fitness for Man Utd will add competition in a previously light left-back area.
Dan Burn, Morgan Rogers and Dominic Solanke are set to be included again, with the latter hoping to show Tuchel what he can do on the back of Tottenham's Europa League success, having not played a minute during the previous camp.
Adam Wharton - fresh from that FA Cup win with Palace - was with the England U21s in March. Lee Carsley's age-group side are out to defend their U21 Euros title when the tournament begins on June 11, so there will need to be a decision made on whether the likes of Wharton, Rico Lewis, Jarrad Branthwaite (who is nursing an injury of his own) and Taylor Harwood-Bellis get the chance to add to their senior caps or focus on the U21 tournament.
Liam Delap, Ethan Nwaneri, Harvey Elliott, James McAtee and Archie Gray could also be used by Carsley rather than Tuchel.
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