England Squad Call-Up: Alexander-Arnold, Palmer, and Ngumoha Shine
Gareth Southgate has ripped up a few assumptions with his latest England squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures – and one name left out shouts louder than most of those included.
Phil Foden is missing.
The Manchester City playmaker, long seen as a guaranteed pick when fit, has been omitted from a 26-man group that leans heavily into form, flexibility and, in a couple of cases, raw potential.
Bold calls and big promotions
Trent Alexander-Arnold is listed among the defenders but, as ever, brings the promise of a hybrid role. Cole Palmer’s rise continues with another call-up, Alex Scott’s steady climb is rewarded, and 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha – still at the very start of his senior career – makes the jump into the senior setup.
The full squad:
- Goalkeepers:
Jordan Pickford, James Trafford, Jason Steele - Defenders:
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrod Branthwaite, Trevor Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento, Nico O’Reilly, Jarrell Quansah - Midfielders:
Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Alex Scott - Forwards:
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Rio Ngumoha, Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers, Bukayo Saka
It is a group that underlines Southgate’s willingness to lean into a new cycle. Youth and versatility run through it. Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mainoo, Anderson, Scott, O’Reilly, Livramento, Quansah, Hall, Ngumoha – this is not a manager clinging to old certainties.
The omissions tell their own story. Adam Wharton’s continued absence will baffle plenty, and Morgan Gibbs-White again misses out despite regular calls for his inclusion. Foden’s exclusion, though, is the headline jolt.
A changing landscape
Harry Kane anchors the forward line as ever, with Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford alongside him. Around them, the picture feels far more fluid. Eze, Gordon, Rogers and Ngumoha give England a mix of direct running, flair between the lines and, in the case of the teenager, the unknown.
In midfield, Rice and Bellingham remain the pillars, but the cast around them is evolving fast. Palmer is now firmly part of the conversation as a central option as much as a wide one. Mainoo’s presence underlines how quickly he has forced his way into the elite bracket. Scott and Anderson add craft, Lewis-Skelly brings energy and bite.
At the back, Branthwaite’s inclusion is a nod to his rapid development, while Konsa and Guehi strengthen a centre-back group that has quietly been reshaped. Livramento and Hall offer modern full-back profiles, and Alexander-Arnold’s name on the defenders’ list will not stop the debate over where he should actually play.
The Nations League has often been dismissed as glorified friendlies. Not this time. With a squad like this, Southgate is clearly treating it as something else entirely: a live laboratory for the next version of England.
