Thomas Tuchel recalls Cole Palmer to England for four matches By Thiago Lemos
2 min read
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England manager Thomas Tuchel selected 27 players on September 18, 2026, in London for the national team’s opening four UEFA Nations League fixtures. The decision restores midfielder Cole Palmer and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold to the squad following their omission from the recent World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold last played for England in June 2025, moving recently to Real Madrid before regaining his spot after more than twelve months away from international duty. Palmer earned his recall after scoring four goals and providing two assists for Chelsea in early season matches. Both return to the squad.
Tuchel maintained his exclusion of Phil Foden, leaving the Manchester City playmaker out of the group after facing public debate over previous selection cuts.
The German manager introduced ten changes from his tournament roster, offering maiden call-ups to Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele and Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott. Liverpool forward Rio Ngumoha also earned a place in the group at 18 years of age. Tuchel rewarded their club form.
Injuries sidelined Dean Henderson, Djed Spence, Dan Burn, John Stones and Jordan Henderson from contention. Technical decisions left strikers Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney off the list.
The schedule opens against Spain on September 26 at Wembley Stadium, continues with an away fixture against the Czech Republic on September 29, moves to Croatia on October 3, and finishes with a second game against the Czechs on October 6 in London. These four games initiate the tournament group phase.
Full 27-man England squad selected by Thomas Tuchel
- Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Jason Steele and James Trafford.
- Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrad Branthwaite, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento, Nico O’Reilly and Jarell Quansah.
- Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice and Alex Scott.
- Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Rio Ngumoha, Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers and Bukayo Saka.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns among the attackers alongside Harry Kane
