Winners and losers as Thomas Tuchel names Man City's Phil Foden in 35-player England squad - but Trent Alexander-Arnold still can't make the cut

Thomas Tuchel has unveiled his England squad for this month's friendlies at home to Uruguay and Japan. These fixtures will be the final two chances for the German to examine his squad in detail before the end of the club season, and he's gone a bit rogue in how he's decided on his roster, naming an expanded 35-player selection but effectively splitting the team in two.

"We decided to divide it into basically two camps almost, so we bring players in that we haven't seen who haven't played so much to open up the picture, and the competition for plane tickets to the U.S.," Tuchel explained.

"Then from Friday and Saturday, a group of players will come into camp - 10 or 11 players who get a rest before and we will then go with a new group and mix of players into the match against Japan."

With nine extra spots in this squad compared to the maximum selection of 26 Tuchel will have for the World Cup, there are even more surprises and controversies than usual. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Tuchel's latest England selection...

WINNER: Phil Foden

Phil Foden hasn't scored a goal since December 14. That's a startling enough stat on its own. He has been relegated to the Manchester City bench and has played under 30 minutes in a game 10 times (ten times) in 2026. They are only just about in the Premier League title race and have already been dumped out of the Champions League, with Foden playing a grand total of zero minutes across the two legs against Real Madrid.

The numbers aren't the only factor to tell that story. On the eye, Foden appears slower and weaker, perhaps due to a dip in confidence or an injury issue that has not been revealed to the public. The deserved winner of the 2023-24 PFA Players' Player of the Year award has not hit those same standards since taking home that gong. Nevertheless, he has managed to keep his spot in Tuchel's squad.

Foden has only four goals in 47 caps for England, meaning he has one of the lowest goals-to-game ratios in the camp among players who have scored for the Three Lions. With Tuchel looking to trim out the fat in his ranks, the City academy graduate is one of his superstars most at risk if he doesn't show up. He will be competing with Cole Palmer for a spot in the XI to face Uruguay, with Jude Bellingham challenging Morgan Rogers for the Japan game.

LOSER: Trent Alexander-Arnold

Foden has done superbly well to retain his spot in the squad despite barely having a performance of note this season. It's an even more damning indictment on Trent Alexander-Arnold, who hasn't flourished for Real Madrid yet since joining them from Liverpool, but should still have enough quality to command a place in a 35-player England squad...right?

Maybe Tuchel just doesn't rate Alexander-Arnold and he can't explicitly say that. It's something we have to consider if he's picking Newcastle United's Tino Livramento and Tottenham Hotspur's Djed Spence ahead of him as the only natural right backs in the Three Lions fold. Everyone knows Tuchel's true top dog for the position is his former Chelsea favourite Reece James, who will miss this camp with a hamstring injury. Given James' unreliable fitness record, the manager must surely be hatching a contingency plan, yet Alexander-Arnold does not feature in those blueprints.

Alexander-Arnold can't even lean on the excuse that he's abroad and therefore out of the English media spotlight. He plays for Real Madrid. Club-mate Bellingham has been selected. Even AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori, Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah and Barcelona loanee Marcus Rashford have made it.

"I know that it's a tough decision for Trent," Tuchel explained. "These tough decisions come with the job.

"It's a sporting decision that we stick with Jarell Quansah, Tino Livramento and Djed Spence who can play for us at right-back. I know it's a tough one, I know it's a big name. He's a huge talent with a big career.

"The right-backs offer slightly different profiles (to Alexander-Arnold), the evidence is we were good in September-November than anything from Trent. I played many times against him and suffered many times when he played against my teams. I know very well his strengths and what he can give."

WINNER: Jude Bellingham

Alexander-Arnold's close friend Bellingham is back in the mix despite only recently returning to full fitness. The midfielder has spent the last month sidelined with a hamstring issue, and given Tuchel had used Rogers as his starting No.10 in previous camps, Bellingham's spot may have been at risk. Yet, he has been selected to the 35, and Tuchel claims he has a special plan in place.

"Everyone had the same interest, which is not always the case; I wanted Jude to be in camp, Jude wanted to be in camp and Real Madrid were happy for him to come to camp," he said.

"We can provide team training for him, which would be a bit difficult at Real Madrid because of the international break. All boxes are ticked - it was very important to get the expectations right about Jude in this camp. We will continue his progress and integration into team training.

"We will be very careful on not taking any risks with Jude regarding the risk of re-injury. It's very rare for him to have a muscle injury, so we will be very careful with it. The best case scenario is that he gets some minutes against Japan and we will adapt from day to day."

WINNER: Man United

Three months ago, Kobbie Mainoo seemed destined to leave Manchester United. He was clearly not liked by head coach Ruben Amorim, whose excessive demands for his central midfielders meant the homegrown star could barely get a game. A move to Napoli nearly materialised in the summer, and had Amorim stayed, it may have gone through in the winter.

But free from Amorim's shackles, Mainoo is shining again. He has been an ever-present starter under new boss Michael Carrick and now been rewarded with a return to the England squad, receiving his first call up from Tuchel.

Elsewhere at Old Trafford, Harry Maguire has been brought back into the England camp after an extended absence out of the team, though Luke Shaw has been overlooked at left-back, with Newcastle's Lewis Hall and Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly preferred. Still, maybe it will be better for United to have their one natural left-back afforded some rest ahead of the Premier League run-in.

Mainoo and Maguire's selections mean this is the first time Tuchel has called up a United player, with the exception of Rashford on loan at Barcelona. "Nothing against Man United! It's just to acknowledge the achievement of Manchester United as a team," Tuchel said of this record on Friday.

"Harry and Kobbie have been a big part of their outstanding run. It's the last chance for me to get to know new players, Kobbie is one of them. Harry is not a new player but is new to me in camp. I want to see them around other players, feel them on the pitch to make a clear decision."

LOSER: Ollie Watkins

Ollie Watkins was England's hero less than a couple of years ago. He was first in line off the bench to afford Harry Kane a rest at Euro 2024, and went one better in a nail-biting semi-final with Netherlands, lashing in a last-minute winner to send the Three Lions to another final.

Now, Watkins has gone two camps without a call-up. His last appearance for England came in a 3-0 win against Wales in October, a match in which the Aston Villa star scored. Similarly to Alexander-Arnold, this may be a case of Tuchel simply not fancying what Watkins has to offer.

Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have both been called up to this camp, while Foden, Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen all have experience playing as a No.9, should Kane not be available. This may be it for Watkins' England career.

Speaking of his two Dominics called in ahead of Watkins, Tuchel said: "I think they have the same profile. Harry Kane is not in camp at the beginning, so I want to see them both and know more about Dom Solanke. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has had a good season with Leeds and is very decisive.

"Both are good penalty takers, by the way. I want to see what they're capable of and if they can fill the gap. I want to learn about them and let's see. The competition is on - they will compete for minutes against Uruguay. They were excited about the call-up and they understand the situation, which helps.

"I feel I have a very clear picture of what Ollie can give us, so I want to have a look at two other players."

LOSER: Max Dowman and other forgotten wingers

There was a lot of momentum behind the campaign for Max Dowman to be named in this England squad amid his record-breaking season at Arsenal. Alas, the 16-year-old hasn't made the cut on this occasion, but Tuchel has opened the door to a World Cup spot if the schoolboy keeps up the good work.

"Well, he put himself in the spotlight with the crucial goal against Everton. At the moment he is competing, a fantastic and outstanding talent. With this age, there cannot be a doubt about it," the England boss said.

"Everyone I speak to about him praises him and is full of compliments about him. The reality is, he competes for minutes but he is in a fantastic environment and the best environment for him at a competitive and stable club where teamwork is the No. 1 rule.

"He learns from the very best. With these young guys, of course we know all of them and see them. At the moment, he's in a good place to fight for his position and minutes at Arsenal and we always have the chance to maybe call him up for the World Cup.

"The thing with young players is to keep the excitement and momentum. They have fearlessness. There is no need to call him up now and increase pressure and expectation which comes with that."

Beyond Dowman, Jack Grealish must be kicking himself that he suffered an unfortunate season-ending injury. He was spotted speaking with Tuchel after Everton's win at Aston Villa earlier in the year, suggesting his name was back on the England agenda. Newcastle hot-shot Harvey Barnes has also been overlooked, despite turning down an approach from Scotland in hope of returning to the Three Lions camp.

WINNER: Premier League mid-table clubs

One of the most telling parts of Tuchel's selection is he isn't afraid to pick players who play for supposed lesser clubs. Calvert-Lewin of Leeds United, for example, is fighting relegation from the Premier League, but his tally of 10 goals already this season is his best since pre-Euro 2020 and thus has been rewarded with a call-up.

The other surprise name is Everton midfielder James Garner, who has been selected ahead of Tottenham's Conor Gallagher and Liverpool's Curtis Jones among others. Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace and Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest are part of the group once more, while West Ham captain Bowen is in again too.

Tuchel isn't discriminating against the mid-table class. If anything, he still holds those at the biggest of clubs to higher standards. For those who didn't make this group of 35, this should give them a slither of hope that if you're in form and playing well, you have a chance of representing England regardless of situation. "No one is on the plane to America!" he has proclaimed.