English players currently injured... 🤕 Sam Johnstone🤕 Reece James🤕 Tino Livramento🤕 Levi Colwill🤕 Jarrad Branthwaite🤕 Joe Gomez🤕 Jordan Henderson🤕 Angel Gomes🤕 Adam Wharton🤕 Jack Grealish🤕 Cole Palmer 🤕 Callum Hudson-Odoi🤕 Bukayo Saka🤕 Anthony Gordon pic.twitter.com/gH84FxqTSO— The England Pod (@England_Pod) April 22, 2026
50 days to go until 2026 World Cup: England will need Harry Kane now more than ever. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/72...and-50-days-to-go-world-cup/?source=twitteruk Spoiler (Move your mouse to the spoiler area to reveal the content) Show Spoiler Hide Spoiler The mood around England was great last year as they won all eight World Cup qualifiers without conceding a single goal. But they were poor in both home friendlies last month, showing how lost they look without Harry Kane. With 50 days to go until this summer’s tournament kicks off, you can hear expectations being gently recalibrated… Who is in form? England’s best and most important player, Kane, is playing better than ever. He has just sealed his second straight Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich and has 32 league goals — 51 in all competitions — this season. The single most important thing for England’s campaign is that Kane stays fit, especially through the climax of the Champions League. At Manchester City, Nico O’Reilly is getting better by the week, and now feels like a certain starter for England at left-back. His City team-mate Marc Guehi, who only joined from Crystal Palace in January, is also playing well. Who is out of form? Where to start? Phil Foden is barely getting a look-in for Manchester City, just when they have hit their stride. John Stones, who Thomas Tuchel loves, has not started a Premier League game since October. Eberechi Eze is in and out at Arsenal. Anthony Gordon has not been at his best for Newcastle United. Cole Palmer has scored goals but it has not been his best season for Chelsea. Morgan Rogers, so good earlier in the season, has tailed off. Every England attacking player, apart from Kane, has questions surrounding them. Are there any injuries to worry about? The biggest concern is probably over Bukayo Saka. He has not played since the Carabao Cup final on March 22, exactly one month ago, with an Achilles injury. He pulled out of England’s camp that month and has not featured since. Saka would have been one of the first names on the team sheet for England but they may have to look elsewhere. The other big question mark is over Reece James, the first-choice right-back, who injured his hamstring last month. What’s the biggest thing the manager needs to sort out? Is there a plan without Kane? Tuchel has been trying to play Foden as a ‘false nine’ in recent months, but as much as Tuchel wants it to work, there has been little to show for it so far. He needs to decide whether he sticks with it or goes for a more conventional alternative. Dominic Solanke appears to be the next in line after the March games, but Dominic Calvert-Lewis is in good form, and so is Ollie Watkins. They cannot all go, but Tuchel will need a robust Plan B in case the worst happens between now and June. If you picked a starting XI today, who would be in it? (4-2-3-1) Jordan Pickford; Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly; Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson; Jarrod Bowen, Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford; Harry Kane What are the key storylines around their group opponents? Croatia The World Cup could be the final chance for this miraculous Croatian generation to play together. Zlatko Dalic has been in charge for almost nine years now, during which time he has led his country to remarkable heights. Croatia reached the final in 2018, losing to France in Russia, an incredible achievement for a nation of four million people. In Qatar, four years later, they reached the semi-finals, only to be picked apart by Lionel Messi when they got there. So this will be Dalic’s third World Cup and fifth major tournament in charge, and as it stands, he does not have a contract beyond this summer. It remains to be seen what will happen with Dalic and what exactly Croatia’s plans are for Euro 2028 and beyond. Even more important than the coach is captain Luka Modric. The 40-year-old has 196 international caps and is about to play in his fifth World Cup. He has been integral to Croatia’s success over the years and may never truly be replaced. Croatia’s opening game against England in Dallas is especially interesting because it is arguably the highest-quality game in the group stage. It will determine who is in the driving seat in Group L, and it will remind both countries of their semi-final in Moscow eight years ago, when Croatia overcame Gareth Southgate’s England 2-1 to set up a final with France. Warm-up games: Croatia vs Belgium, June 2 Croatia vs Slovenia, June 7 Ghana Is it really a World Cup without Carlos Queiroz managing? The veteran Portuguese coach, 73, has just signed a deal to lead Ghana this summer, bringing the benefit of his decades of experience to a very talented squad. Queiroz managed Portugal at the 2010 World Cup and then Iran at the past three, recording memorable wins over Morocco in Russia and Wales in Qatar. He came up against Southgate’s England in Qatar, but was unable to shackle them as England won 6-2. He has also recent international experience with Colombia, Egypt, Qatar and Oman, as well as spells with the United Arab Emirates and South Africa at the start of his career. Queiroz’s career is a testament to his skills, experience and adaptability. Few people know more about how to get the most out of a group of players at a tournament, to stay organised and competitive, than he does. He got the job after his predecessor, Otto Addo, a former Ghana international, was dismissed following a defeat against Germany in a friendly in March. He will take over a gifted squad, led by captain Jordan Ayew. But the star is Antoine Semenyo, who has hit the ground running since he joined Manchester City from Bournemouth in January. If Queiroz can organise the defence and make the most of Semenyo’s talents, then Ghana could cause some real trouble. Warm-up games: Mexico vs Ghana, May 22 Wales vs Ghana, June 2 Panama This will be Panama’s second World Cup, their first since their debut at Russia 2018. England fans may remember that they were the team’s second opponents there, a comfortable 6-1 win featuring a Kane hat-trick. The small Central American nation are now managed by former Leeds United boss Thomas Christiansen, who has overseen steady progress over the past six years. They were runners-up at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, losing the final to Mexico in Los Angeles, and then two years later were runners-up in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League, losing to the same opposition in the same stadium, this time 2-1. But in the semi-finals, they beat Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT, a great night in Panamanian football history. Cecilio Waterman celebrated his stoppage-time winner by running to Thierry Henry, who was there as a TV pundit, hugging him and telling him Henry was his idol. It was a special moment, one that told the world of the progress Panama had been making. But even after that famous celebration, returning to the World Cup was still the focus for Panama. And they won both of their qualification groups to seal their place. Waterman and his team-mates will have more chances to make history this summer. Warm-up games: Brazil vs Panama, May 3 Is there anything travelling fans need to know? While all three of England’s games are in the U.S., with two on the East Coast, that does not necessarily mean England fans will have an easy time. NJ Transit confirmed last week that a return rail ticket to the MetLife Stadium — where England play Panama — will cost $150 (£111). There will be an alternative bus service, but even that will cost $80. And when England play Ghana at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, there will be an $80 train or a $95 bus from the centre of Boston, where most England fans will be staying. Not sure people know here will agree that O’Reilly like a certain starter or be happy to see White or Bowen having to start
Livramento will be out till at least the middle of May. Have a feeling Tuchel is going to leave him out for the World Cup with at least one of Spence, White or Quansah going instead.
Mid-May is ~ 3 weeks away and a full month before England's world cup starts, it's hardly particularly notable absence. Livramento's bigger issue is he's been consistently underwhelming even when he's made it out on the pitch. Though none of Spence, White, or Quansah have had notable seasons either in comparison.
Here's the Newcastle boss now, who starts by giving an injury update on Tino Livramento: "With Tino, he went for a scan initially. We don't think it's a bad injury. We will wait and see whether he will play again this season. He is due to have another scan at the weekend to determine the full extent of his time out." On how Livramento is feeling: "Tino is very level-headed, very stable, mentally. I think he's had a frustrating season, such a good season last year. He was outstanding, was fit and available and really contributed to what we delivered. This year has been different. That's just the life of a footballer, I'm afraid. He has never been able to get that run of games to find his best form. He is an outstanding player, we just hope he has a better run around the corner." Newcastle boss Eddie Howe on Anthony Gordon's availability: "Anthony won't make this game. He hasn't trained this week. Again, not a serious injury but not in time for this game. Hopefully, the next one." Think Tuchel will probably end up taking Spence or White to be James’s main back up.
Tbh as long as James is fit, he'll play every game. It doesn't really matter who his backup is. Though personally I'd take white as he has a good relationship with saka. Similar to hall's relationship with Gordon
He literally can't play every game. He hasn't been able to play more than one game per week. He'll likely be able to play 70 mins of the first and last group games and then managed from there.
He'll probably sit out one of the easier games in the group but we should win against say Panama whoever we put out
That’s the deadline - I will be very surprised if he announced it on a Saturday a whole week after most players have finished for the season and on the day of a CL final (Particularly if it’s Arsenal and/or Bayern in it)l My guess is he will announce it on Friday 22nd May like he announced last summer’s squad the Friday before the season ended.
True, looking at the fixtures you play him against Croatia and then rest him for the next two games. He can’t play Ghana so quickly after Croatia and it’s not worth risking him in the last game.
It'll be interesting to see how it gets managed in the KO stages. If we were to get to the QF, would you rest Reece James if he'd played in the last 16? Likewise if we got to the SF, would you rest him because he played in the QF? I think it'd be very hard to drop him for a KO stage game against a top opponent.
I think you'd have to play him in any knock-out game he was fit for. Not much point in conserving him for the semis if it means you end up going out in the quarters, and you can't anticipate any walkovers at that stage in the tournament.
If its not Livramento, then the other RB options are either CBs (Konsa, Quansah, White) or more defensive (Spence). None of who have anything like his attacking threat. It may be a possibility of playing James as an attacking sub. That way you manage his minutes/fitness.
And it’s hard to tell who out of those Tuchel favours. He has praised all of them. Konsa at RB probably relies on Stones being fit enough to start at CB I suspect.
Pickford Henderson Trafford James Livramento Stones Konsa Guehi Burn O'Reilly Hall Anderson Rice Bellingham Garner Wharton Mainoo Saka , Bowen Gordon , Eze (over Rashford) Rogers, Gibbs-White Kane Watkins Welbeck Seems unimaginable leaving out Palmer and Foden. I'm sure Burn goes as a left-footer. Would love to fit Welbeck in. Perfect squad man & 3rd striker but Rogers/MGW can cover so many also not be needed. Garner, MGW, Wharton or Mainoo misses out if they want a 9th defender. This squad is going to be so hard to pick. Englishman G+A in Prem Gibbs-White 16 Bowen 16 Rogers 14 Welbeck 13 Watkins 13 Calvert-Lewin 12 Dewsbury-Hall 11 Tavernier 10 Palmer 10 Foden 10 Saka 9 Rice 9 Gordon 8 O'Reilly 8 Anthony 8 Garner 8 Eze 8 Grealish 8 Hudson-Odoi 7 Wilson 6 James 6 Barnes 5 Wharton 5 Anderson 5 Guehi 5 Hinshelwood 5 Hutchinson 5 Lewis-Potter 5 Miley 5 Scott 4 Murphy 4 Sessegnon 4 Edwards 4 Gray 4 Henderson 4 Longstaff 4
Thinking in a vacuum, I still think we have to take Palmer. He looks a shell of himself atm but he is at least back to his best physically (mostly). He's a properly big game player and he's one of the few players with proven game changing quality at the top level. He's also done it for England on a big stage. To me it's worth gambling on the idea that providing him with a fresh environment might help him regain his confidence, because ultimately his poor form is a product of psychological and environmental factors. The argument for not taking him is probably more that Tuchel likely won't platform him properly. He's so reluctant to use Palmer off the right that he played Rogers there to facilitate Palmer playing in the middle. I think the best chance of getting Palmer back to his best is simplifying his role and maximising what he's good at (final ball/shot). Playing him in a role he's not suited to while he's massively out of form is more likely to further frustrate him. If Palmer is only going to play as a 10 we're probably better off with someone like MGW, even though I think the chances of him being a serious difference maker for England are somewhat small.