LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - England will head to next month's World Cup without several familiar faces after midfielders Phil Foden and Cole Palmer missed the cut for manager Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad on Friday.
There was a surprise recall, however, for former Brentford striker Ivan Toney after playing only seven minutes of international football since Euro 2024.
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was selected after a return to form in the second half of the season but there was no place for his United teammate Harry Maguire who has been a mainstay of England's defence in recent tournaments.
Real Madrid right back Trent Alexander-Arnold, as expected, was overlooked, having featured only once since Tuchel took charge of England in January 2025.
Brentford's veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson, a firm favourite of Tuchel for his leadership qualities, becomes only the second England player to make four World Cup squads after Bobby Charlton.
Tuchel's ruthless streak and loyalty to players who have performed under his tenure, rather than those with big reputations, was again in evidence as the German selected many players without any previous tournament minutes.
Only eight of England's 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar, when England reached the quarter-finals, make this year's selection.
"I love the difficult decisions, and I love the tough decisions -- they bring a certain edge," Tuchel told the England official app after the squad was announced.
"That is what you need to go all the way. It is hard to please. In the end, we have to pick the squad that we as a staff are convinced of and really believe in.
"Everything I know about international football and everything I hear about international football is that it is about chemistry. It is about the energy, connection and trust between me and the players."
Manchester City's Foden and Chelsea's Palmer had both been vying for the No.10 role but have found themselves overtaken in Tuchel's pecking order after disappointing seasons.
There was also no place for Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White despite an impressive season in which he is the joint top English goalscorer in the Premier League alongside Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Watkins is one of seven forwards in the squad which will again rely heavily on the goals of captain Harry Kane.
England are one of the main favourites for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. They are in Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Man City).
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), John Stones (Man City), Marc Guehi (Man City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Nico O'Reilly (Man City), Djed Spence (Tottenham), Tino Livramento (Newcastle).
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Kobbie Mainoo (Man Utd), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Noni Madueke (Arsenal).
(Reporting by Martyn HermanEditing by Toby Davis)
