NEW YORK — Precisely 50 days lay between Thomas Tuchel announcing his World Cup squad and England reaching the semi-finals for just the fourth time in history.
All of Tuchel’s more curious selections came with an asterisk. Win the whole thing and few pages in the history books would be dedicated to Phil Foden, Cole Palmer or Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exclusions. A 26-man squad selected via 3D chess, which would eventually come into its own in the later stages.
The hour has arrived for those calls to pay off. It is why Tuchel’s initial 18-month contract was extended before the World Cup began – he is the ultimate big-occasion coach and they do not come much bigger than Argentina in Atlanta.
After the sheer exertion and exhaustion of Norway, England still do not have a full complement to choose from – here is how they could line up.
Pickford
