England head coach Thomas Tuchel has finalised his squad for Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Albania at Wembley, making three exclusions. Morgan Gibbs-White, Jarrell Quansah, and Aaron Ramsdale have all been left out of the matchday lineup.
Although Gibbs-White was initially absent from the original squad, he received a late call-up following Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer’s withdrawal. However, with UEFA regulations allowing only 23 players per fixture, Tuchel had to reduce his 26-man selection.
For this first game under Tuchel, the Nottingham Forest midfielder, Liverpool defender Quansah, and Southampton goalkeeper Ramsdale did not make the cut. Nonetheless, the trio could still feature in England’s next qualifier against Latvia.
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Meanwhile, Harry Kane will wear the captain’s armband, leading the attack in Tuchel’s debut game in charge. In midfield, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are set to start.
Phil Foden, Marc Guehi, and Anthony Gordon are also likely to start against Albania. Their inclusion will depend on Tuchel’s tactical setup for the match.
Kane feels underappreciated despite goalscoring records
Amidst the squad announcement, Kane has expressed frustration over what he perceives as a lack of recognition for his achievements. The Three Lions captain believes his consistent goal-scoring feats are often overlooked.
“It’s like when [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi were throwing these cr*zy numbers out there and the next season they’d score 40 goals instead of 50. It was like they were having a bad season,” Kane said.
The 31-year-old remains England’s all-time top scorer, with 69 international goals to his name. He will aim to increase that tally when England faces Albania at Wembley on Friday.
Despite his prolific form for the national team, Kane continues to receive criticism in Germany regarding his performances for Bayern Munich. Even though he has netted 76 goals in 82 appearances, some still question his impact.
“People take it for granted and maybe a little bit with England as well. I’ve scored 69 goals and when you score against Albania or Latvia, or these teams, people just expect it so it’s not spoken about so much…” Kane added.
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