ENGLAND FOOTBALL RETURNS: HOW TUCHEL’S CHOICES CAN IMPROVE THE THREE LIONS AFTER THE WORLD CUP
Published: 24/09/2026 | By: Jack Gibbs
England are back – and Thomas Tuchel has wasted no time in mixing things up. The international break starts next week, and the England manager has announced his first squad since the World Cup, with new faces and some familiar ones returning to the fold. After the disappointment of losing to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, Tuchel now has the chance to change what didn’t work and give England more ways to win a game.
The squad shows that this isn’t simply a case of sticking with what England had in the summer. There is more creativity, more unpredictability and, importantly, more competition for places. With Spain, Croatia and Czechia waiting, these selections are going to give us an early idea of whether Tuchel has found the answers he was looking for.
The Returners Mean Business
It seems as though Tuchel has done a lot of thinking since England’s last outing, and his selection shows he is willing to look at different options. From the announcement, we can say that the German has mixed things up big time.
Morgan Gibbs-White immediately sticks in the mind after his brilliant start to the season. The Forest man missed out on the original squad but has now been called up following Cole Palmer’s withdrawal.
During the tournament, many were crying out for a Palmer-like player, and many pundits thought after the semi-final loss that England needed that little bit extra to get the squad over the finish line. Gibbs-White now has the chance to show whether he can provide exactly that.
He plays with passion and fight. He balances creativity with aggression, something England could have done with more of at the World Cup. Having three goal contributions in five games also shows what he can bring. That combination gives Tuchel not only another attacking option, but another player capable of pushing those already competing for a place.
Being a star player for Forest, why can’t he push on even further and be a star player for England? He certainly has the creativity and skill set to do so!
Gibbs-White isn't the only player returning who can change the way England attack. Another one who’s found a way back to the Three Lions is Trent Alexander-Arnold. The right-back has a huge chance to seize his opportunity whilst he can, with Reece James unavailable through injury. Alexander-Arnold probably would have been itching at home watching England throughout the World Cup, as the right side was where they were probably the shortest threat-wise.
But this is where Trent can offer something different. His passing range and ability to create from deep can give England another route through an opposition defence. The Real Madrid star can also play higher up the pitch and provide attacking width, potentially opening up space for an inverted winger or a player like Gibbs-White to explore.
And that could be particularly useful if Tuchel wants England to play higher up the pitch. It’s such an important thing in football to have the right balance between attacking and defending, and Trent gives Tuchel another way to find it. With his ability to whip a cross in Beckham-esque fashion, attacking football could be on its way to Wembley.
New Faces, Fresh Look
While the returning players bring qualities England have seen before, Tuchel has also added players who could give the team something completely different.
Although Rio Ngumoha featured and won the Man of the Match award against New Zealand on his first cap, he was only in the squad as a player to push the others around him in the camp before the World Cup. This time, Tuchel has him as a genuine option.
The Liverpool man has played three of the four Premier League matches and has shown what he can do. That experience means he now arrives in camp with more than just potential behind him.
The untapped potential of the winger makes him unpredictable, and England can unlock that to their advantage. Being such a raw and pacey player, giving him the freedom to do what he has done all his life, play football, can give England an alternative. He makes defenders think twice.
That unpredictability is something Tuchel can also find elsewhere in the squad. Alongside Ngumoha, Bournemouth’s Alex Scott was also in the squad before the World Cup. This time his name made the full announcement list for the set of games coming up next week.
This season, Scott has been talked about hugely for his performances but also for him being ready for a step-up, similar to Elliot Anderson. Like Ngumoha, he now has more first-team experience behind him, meaning these players aren't simply there to learn from the established names.
Both players have a lot of potential and are already showing it week-in, week-out. They now arrive with more experience behind them, giving Tuchel different tools depending on the game. Better yet, they could become mystery weapons to use.
The Spine Still Stands Strong
For all the changes around them, though, Tuchel hasn't thrown away the foundation of his team. What hasn’t changed for a while in this England squad is the solid spine that Tuchel has to call upon. The usual leaders of the group just give a sense of security, don’t they? When a manager can go into a game knowing that the main spine of his team is going to fight for the badge and win football matches, it gives him something to build around.
England’s all-time top goalscorer, Harry Kane, makes the squad, which by now that’s probably obvious. This season, Kane has four goals and one assist in six games for Bayern Munich… New season, same old Kane.And behind Kane, Tuchel has a midfield that combines experience with players who are still developing. Elliot Anderson and Jude Bellingham probably would have been a safe guess to make on who Tuchel would pick – so it’s no surprise to see them back into the squad.
Rogers has shone so far after his big move to Chelsea and has been one of their best players. You would think moving to a bigger club and costing over £100 million would add pressure. What pressure. Morgan Rogers is in the form of his life.
That attacking quality is backed up by a defence Tuchel already knows he can rely on. Marc Guéhi and Jordan Pickford remain as the starting part of his spine, with Ezri Konsa back in, potentially to replace John Stones because of a hamstring injury.
The spine still stands strong for this set of games, with the England manager also being able to call up Jarrad Branthwaite and Lewis Hall as new players to add to that foundation.
Together, the heart of this England team gels leadership, grit and goals all into one, becoming the foundation that allows Tuchel to experiment elsewhere.
Tuchel’s a class manager, but his selection is even classier.
Who’s in England’s Way
England will play four games stretched across 10 days, starting with Spain at home before travelling to Czechia and Croatia, before facing Czechia again at home. They are four very different tests, and exactly the kind of games Tuchel needs to see whether his changes can work.
The Spain game in particular gives England an immediate chance to show what this new-look squad can do. The current World Cup holders will provide the perfect test of whether Tuchel’s new attacking options can make a difference against the very best.
The recalls of Gibbs-White and Alexander-Arnold give England different options in attack, while Ngumoha and Scott add further unpredictability. Behind them, the established spine of Kane, Bellingham, Anderson, Guéhi and Pickford gives Tuchel the foundation to experiment.
Now it’s about turning those options into something that works on the pitch. Tuchel has gathered his Lions, given himself more ways to approach a game and added competition across the squad. The first chance to see what that looks like comes on the 26th of September.
