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Thomas Tuchel is set to unveil England’s squad for the upcoming World Cup on Friday, but two major omissions have already come to light, causing ripples across the football world. One of the players left out has already spoken publicly about his disappointment.

According to BBC reports, Phil Foden will not be part of England’s World Cup campaign. The talented Manchester City forward has been excluded from Tuchel’s final squad, despite recently returning to the German coach’s setup for qualifiers and friendly matches.

Foden’s prolonged goal drought—he hasn’t found the net for City since December—appears to have harmed his chances of maintaining a regular role under Pep Guardiola and, ultimately, cost him his place in the national squad.

Joining him on the exclusion list is Manchester United defender Harry Maguire. Speaking to talkSport, Maguire revealed that he was dropped from the 26-member squad set to travel to the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and he didn’t hold back his feelings about Tuchel’s decision.

Maguire expressed deep disappointment at missing out on the tournament. “I was confident that, after the season I’ve had, I could make a big impact for my country this summer,” he said. Having regained his form with the Red Devils, Maguire was poised to return to the UEFA Champions League with third-placed Manchester United after a three-year gap.

Tuchel had previously acknowledged Maguire’s improved performances at club level and recalled the 33-year-old defender to the national team in March for the first time since September 2024. Maguire recounted a brief but emotional exchange with Tuchel, describing it as a “fantastic phone call” that even brought his mother to tears. “It felt amazing to be back. I’ve missed it—when you’ve been part of the team for six or seven years, playing every game, and suddenly you’re left out, it’s tough,” he said then.

That’s why Tuchel’s final decision to leave him out of the World Cup squad came as a huge blow. “This decision shocked me and left me deeply disappointed,” Maguire admitted, addressing the coach directly. Nonetheless, he conveyed his best wishes to the team, saying he hopes they “achieve great success” during the tournament.

Maguire had already missed Euro 2024 in Germany due to a serious muscle injury, but before that, he had been a defensive mainstay for England. He featured prominently during the 2018 World Cup semi-final run, the 2022 Qatar campaign (where England exited in the quarter-finals against France), and Euro 2021, which ended in a heartbreaking final defeat to Italy at Wembley.

Under Tuchel’s management, Manchester City’s John Stones and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa have been the preferred centre-back duo in recent World Cup qualifiers. However, Marc Guehi remains in contention for a starting spot, and Newcastle United’s Dan Burn is also expected to make the squad.

Attention now turns to another contentious selection matter involving Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 27-year-old full-back, currently playing for Real Madrid, has made just one appearance for England since Tuchel took charge, and it’s been almost a year since his last call-up.

“It was an extremely tough decision. We have no doubts about his ability or what he offers to any team. It’s a tough call, maybe even an unfair one, but such decisions are part of the job, and he has to accept it,” Tuchel explained in March after once again leaving Alexander-Arnold out of the squad.

Tuchel further clarified that he had adjusted England’s tactical system last autumn, and the players selected now were better suited to that setup. However, that reasoning didn’t sit well with England legend Gary Lineker.

“I believe there’s something personal going on here, because from a footballing point of view, there’s absolutely no justification for this,” Lineker said on his podcast ‘The Rest is Football’. “There are players in that position who, with all due respect, aren’t anywhere near his level—especially when it comes to technical ability,” the former international added.

Lineker went on to say, “So I suspect there’s something about Trent Alexander-Arnold that Tuchel doesn’t like. Whether it’s his attitude or his defensive weaknesses, there must be some underlying issue, because the decision just doesn’t make sense.”