The gilded gates of St George's Park have been swung shut on two of English football's most decorated individuals. Thomas Tuchel is set to name his 26...
The gilded gates of St George's Park have been swung shut on two of English football's most decorated individuals. Thomas Tuchel is set to name his 26 man World Cup squad on Friday morning at Wembley, but the build up has already been dominated by the chilling sound of omission. Harry Maguire is "shocked and gutted" after being told he has no place in the party bound for this summer's tournament. The Manchester United centre half, a talisman of the Three Lions' deep runs in previous competitions, has paid the price for a season riddled with defensive lapses and a lack of sharpness in transitional play. He has been a staple of the backline under previous regimes, a man who could be relied upon to throw his body in the mixer, but Tuchel sees a vulnerability there that cannot be masked at the highest level. It is a brutal end to an era. Phil Foden is also believed to be on the outskirts of Tuchel's thinking. The Manchester City playmaker, so often the subject of clamour for more game time at club level, finds himself staring at a summer on the sofa. Foden offers a unique silkiness in tight spaces, but for a manager who demands tactical flexibility and a relentless work rate without the ball, his case appears not to have been made. Can you afford to leave such a natural talent at home when the games become tight and only a flash of genius can unlock a low block Tuchel's answer, it seems, is a resounding yes. This is not a squad built on sentiment or past glories. Tuchel has arrived with a reputation for clinical decision making, and he is demonstrating it here with a flourish. The mood around the camp will be one of sharp focus, but also of deep personal disappointment. For Maguire, the blow is particularly heavy; he has been the emotional heartbeat of the defence in major moments. For Foden, the door is not closed forever, but this omission feels like a pointed message about the non negotiables of international tournament football. The pundits will wring their hands, the talk shows will buzz, but Tuchel has already made up his mind. The path to the World Cup just got a little narrower for two of England's biggest names.
