Arsenal star gets shock England call 24 hours after Tuchel’s World Cup squad

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Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri has received a surprise call-up to England’s pre-World Cup training camp squad, just 24 hours after Thomas Tuchel announced his initial 26-man roster for the tournament.

The young winger has been added alongside three other emerging talents to strengthen England’s training camp roster ahead of their World Cup campaign. The squad will convene in Florida before England’s tournament opener against Croatia.

Nwaneri left Arsenal in January following limited playing time under Mikel Arteta and secured a loan move to Marseille for the remainder of the season. The promising talent was part of England’s Under-21 squad that claimed European Championship glory last summer.

Joining Nwaneri in the extended training camp are Fulham’s Josh King, Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, and Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott. According to Football London, Tuchel had considered Nwaneri for the main 26-man squad before ultimately deciding against his inclusion.

Tuchel explains selection strategy

The England manager defended his approach to squad selection, emphasizing the importance of building a cohesive unit rather than simply collecting the most talented individuals available.

“We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players,” Tuchel explained.

Speaking specifically about Scott’s inclusion, Tuchel praised the midfielder’s reaction to missing the initial cut: “I’m happy to have these players, especially Alex who was on the [long] list of 55 [players for the 26-man World Cup squad] and obviously he didn’t make the first cut but the reaction of him was outstanding.”

World Cup preparation schedule

England will use their time in Florida to prepare for the World Cup through two friendly matches. They face New Zealand at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on June 6, followed by a clash with Costa Rica at the InterandCo Stadium in Orlando on June 10.

The Three Lions’ World Cup campaign officially begins seven days later against Croatia, the same side that eliminated them at the semi-final stage eight years ago. England will also face Ghana and Panama in their group stage fixtures, with Tuchel’s side widely expected to top their group.

Tuchel made several bold decisions with his main squad, notably excluding Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Instead, he opted for less obvious choices including Ivan Toney, Djed Spence, and Dan Burn as England look to end their long wait for international glory.