Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Phil Foden was a stand-out exclusion from Thomas Tuchel's squad for the friendly against Wales and the World Cup qualifier against Latvia in Riga.

Foden, who has won two caps under Tuchel, has been rebuilding form and confidence with an excellent start to the season after a poor campaign last term.

And he will do all this with his sights set on the World Cup.

He was a permanent fixture in Sir Gareth Southgate's plans up to Euro 2024, but getting Foden and Bellingham in the same team was often a struggle and never felt like a neat fit at the time, with the former often out on the left rather than his preferred central role.

No-one, least of all Tuchel, can ignore Foden's talent but he must continue to impress to reclaim what was once an automatic place in England's squad.

Like Palmer, Foden operates in what is now a congested place under Tuchel, whether it is in the centre or pushed out wide and he has a fight on his hands to make England's World Cup squad.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Phil has hit the nail on the head with his list of attacking players and the choice Thomas Tuchel now has facing him.

Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford fighting for a place on the left, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke jostling for position on the right, and Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer battling it out for the number 10 spot.

Then you have Phil Foden, who could claim to be able to play in any of those positions, and Jack Grealish, who is making himself hard to ignore.

Picking a starting XI is tricky, but even whittling it down to a 26-man squad could prove tough for Tuchel...

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Cole Palmer's England career has been a mixed bag ranging from the moment of brilliance that gave England hope with the equaliser against Spain in what was eventually a losing cause in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin, to other occasions when he has left even supporters of his superb talent wanting more.

Palmer's current problem is a lingering groin injury.

Thomas Tuchel is unlikely to start fitting square pegs in round holes so close to a major tournament - therefore Palmer, who has only played 64 minutes under the German, has work to do.

He is unlikely to get in as the 10, with Morgan Rogers currently in possession and Bellingham waiting in the wings.

It is hard to see a place on the flanks, where he is less effective, with Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford contenders on the left and Arsenal pair Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke fighting for a place on the right.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

England's next squad for what are effectively dead rubbers against Serbia and Albania will now have one main point of interest, namely whether Jude Bellingham is included.

If he is, Bellingham will return to duty having been made acutely aware by Thomas Tuchel that there is no star system, no special cases, no automatic route back into England's team.

And it will also come after it has been made crystal clear that Tuchel's England world does not revolve around Bellingham and how best to utilise his undoubted talent.

Bellingham is not exactly starting again with England - the odds will still be on him being in the line-up their first game in next summer's World Cup - but he has to prove to Tuchel that he can be part of the team spirit the German cherishes, and that he deserves his place back in the side.

The England star famously mouthed "who else?" when scoring a spectacular stoppage-time overhead kick when England beat Slovakia in the last 16 at Euro 2024, but he now knows there are others Tuchel is willing to consider.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

It must be a sobering thought for Thomas Tuchel to imagine an England World Cup squad without either Harry Kane or Jordan Pickford in it.

The Three Lions boss would probably quite like to put them into storage now and mark them as fragile.

However, the players with a point to prove is a much more intriguing debate.

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been assessing this very issue....

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport journalist

From one guaranteed squad member to another...

Jordan Pickford made it nine clean sheets in a row for England against Latvia, having already eclipsed Gordon Banks' record against Wales on Thursday.

It has been more than a year since he last conceded for England, in a 2-1 Nations League defeat by Greece on 10 October 2024, meaning Thomas Tuchel is yet to see him concede a goal since taking charge.

Since then he has faced 10 shots on target, keeping out Serbia, Andorra (twice), Latvia, Albania (twice), the Republic of Ireland, Greece and Wales.

In the past year England conceded in both games he was an unused substitute - against Finland and Senegal.

Image source, Getty Images

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

Harry Kane must top the guaranteed list.

The England captain’s astonishing start to the season continued last night as his two goals against Latvia took his tally to 21 in just 13 games for club and country.

The Bayern Munich forward says he is in the form of his life and statistically there is no disputing it. For a man who infamously used to struggle at the start of a campaign, particularly in August, he’s had no such troubles this season with this easily his highest tally of goals at this stage.

“The numbers are obviously there, but I just think the way I’m feeling on the pitch, the way I’m seeing the passes, the runs, I’m physically in a good place,” Kane says. “I’m in a good moment. Hopefully I can keep it going.”

He notched his 75th and 76th senior international goals in Riga, making it the 13th time he has scored two or more times in a game for England. That moved him into sole first place ahead of the legendary Nat Lofthouse for the Three Lions.

Also, his tally of England goals scored while at Bayern Munich is now 18, only David Platt has scored more for the Three Lions while at a non-English club.

Image source, Getty Images

There are few 'guarantees' when it comes to selecting a squad for a major tournament, injuries could prove disruptive over the course of the season, but there are some players who are highly likely to get their place in Thomas Tuchel's squad.

Harry Kane: Appearances - 110

The England captain is arguably the first name on the team sheet for the Three Lions. His six goals at the World Cup in 2018 won him the Golden Boot and helped England to a first semi-final in 28 years. The 32-year-old is the country's all-time leading goalscorer and has played at five major tournaments.

Jordan Pickford: Appearances - 80

As important as Kane is, Pickford has been England's number one at the last four major tournaments and has played a huge role in the development of the national team in recent years. His experience will no doubt prove crucial next summer, not to mention the fact he's saved four penalties in major tournament shootouts.

Declan Rice: Appearances - 70

Rice was captain in the absence of Kane against Wales last week and is another significant leader on the pitch for England. The 26-year-old is entering the peak of his career and has been a part of the England squad for the past three major tournaments.

John Murray
BBC football correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live in Riga

I have been listening to Thomas Tuchel in the media conference and still the message was next month continuity is going to be the thing.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

This was mentioned yesterday Adam.

It's not abundantly clear why Thomas Tuchel brought Jordan Henderson back into the fold, from a playing perspective.

It looks unlikely that he would ever start an important game under Tuchel, but perhaps his experience and his influence in the dressing room is a major factor.

Also, should England need a calm head to help bring a game under control at the World Cup, the former Liverpool captain could be a useful man to turn to.

The only issue is, would his inclusion in the squad be at the expense of an up-and-coming talent, such as Adam Wharton?

With just one international break left this calendar year, Thomas Tuchel has already had chance to assess plenty of players ahead of the World Cup.

The two names at the top of the list of his most used players - Harry Kane and Jordan Pickford - may come as no surprise considering their importance to England.

However, the likes of Morgan Rogers, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Noni Madueke have all played a big role since Tuchel's arrival and look likely to be in his plans come next summer.

But who will be on that plane? And who has a point to prove?

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

What we would like you to ponder is:

• Which players are guaranteed a World Cup place?
• And which players still have a point to prove?

Feel free to pepper us with your ideal 23 or 26-man squads and also flag any names you feel should be in contention for a place but have not yet been mentioned.

Get in touch using the Get Involved button at the top of this page.

England

A reminder of the players missing as England qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday evening:

• Phil Foden
• Jude Bellingham
• Jack Grealish
• Adam Wharton
• Trent Alexander-Arnold
• Reece James
• Tino Livramento
• Noni Madueke
• Cole Palmer
• Ollie Watkins [made the latest squad but pulled out through injury]

England

These players made the latest England squad but were substitutes on Tuesday night:

• Jarrod Bowen
• Dan Burn
• Eberechi Eze
• Morgan Gibbs-White
• Marc Guehi
• Jordan Henderson
• Dean Henderson
• Ruben Loftus-Cheek
• Nico O'Reilly
• Marcus Rashford
• James Trafford

England

Here's a reminder of the England players who started Tuesday night's win in Latvia:

• Jordan Pickford
• Djed Spence
• Ezri Konsa
• John Stones
• Myles Lewis-Skelly
• Morgan Rogers
• Elliott Anderson
• Declan Rice
• Bukayo Saka
• Harry Kane
• Anthony Gordon

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

This will be the crux of our conversation going forward - which players will Thomas Tuchel disappoint and who will be on the plane for the 2026 World Cup.

The England coach has two more qualifiers and two friendlies planned for next March before he has to name his final squad.

At this point we don't know whether that will be 26 players - as it was in the last World Cup - or the 23 it was in 2018.

So we want to know which England players you would include in your World Cup squad, who you would leave out and why?