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England are set to take on Japan at Wembley Stadium in their final friendly match before Thomas Tuchel announces his squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Friday night’s 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley will feel like a missed opportunity for the Three Lions. While the result itself holds little weight, England head coach Thomas Tuchel would have been frustrated to see his team denied victory by Federico Valverde’s stoppage-time penalty.

What will concern Tuchel more, however, is the number of players who failed to make a strong impression in what was the penultimate friendly before he finalises his preliminary squad for this summer’s tournament.

The Three Lions are back at Wembley for their final home friendly before heading to the USA, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. For several players, it represents one last chance to shine in an England shirt before Tuchel names his initial squad.

They will face Japan, currently ranked 18th in the world, offering an ideal opportunity for five England players to prove they deserve a spot in Tuchel’s plans for the summer.

The Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden was handed the No.10 jersey against Uruguay, but his most notable moment came when he was clattered by a rough tackle from Ronald Araujo. Foden did little to seize his chance on Friday but remains in camp and could feature again tonight, depending on his fitness levels.

The 25-year-old last found the net for England in September 2023 and has struggled for form since being named Premier League Player of the Season for 2023/24. With Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, and Cole Palmer seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order, Foden might need a strong performance—likely from the bench—to boost his World Cup hopes.

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer is another player looking to rediscover his best form after a superb 2023/24 campaign that ended with him scoring England’s equaliser in their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain. The 23-year-old replaced Foden against Uruguay and immediately made an impact, delivering the corner that led to Ben White’s opener and creating a chance that Dominic Calvert-Lewin failed to convert.

Although Tuchel appears to favour Morgan Rogers as his No.10, the German coach is known to be a strong admirer of Palmer’s talent, and another lively display tonight could strengthen his case.

Everton midfielder James Garner, a European Under-21 Championship winner with England in 2023, earned his first senior call-up for these internationals and went straight into the starting XI against Uruguay. The 25-year-old marked his debut with a tidy performance and could feature again, especially with Arsenal’s Declan Rice sidelined through injury.

While Rice and Elliot Anderson look assured of their World Cup places, and Jordan Henderson continues to be one of Tuchel’s trusted options, Garner could still stake a claim for one of the remaining midfield spots if he finishes the campaign strongly. Another composed performance tonight would certainly help his case.

Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, who started the Euro 2024 final at just 19, had only made one international appearance between that July 2024 final and Friday’s Uruguay friendly. Now 20, Mainoo has regained form at United under Michael Carrick after a challenging spell with former boss Ruben Amorim. His recall places him firmly back in World Cup contention, and a strong showing against Japan could remind Tuchel of his quality and readiness for the global stage.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke is likely to see limited minutes tonight, with Harry Kane expected to return to the starting lineup. However, with Calvert-Lewin having withdrawn from the squad after the Uruguay game, the 28-year-old remains the only natural No.9 backup to Kane. Solanke started on Friday and worked hard without much reward, but tonight’s fixture could be his final opportunity to convince Tuchel that he deserves a seat on the plane to North America as Kane’s understudy.