England squad questions: Josh King, Will Lankshear and Ben White in focus
With England nearing Nations League qualification, Thomas Tuchel faces selection calls over uncapped Josh King and Will Lankshear and possible recalls for Morgan Gibbs-White, Ben White and Jordan Henderson.
England head into their final international break of the year with Nations League knockout qualification all but secured, and two games remaining against Croatia at home and Spain away to decide top spot. Thomas Tuchel must weigh established stars against fresh options, with the intrigue centred on the few squad places still up for grabs.
Fulham midfielder Josh King, 19, has already been close to a senior debut. He was part of a preparation squad in the US before the World Cup alongside Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri and Rio Ngumoha, and Tuchel has said King is close to a call-up. His favoured number 10 role is crowded, with Jude Bellingham England's leading player there.
Up front, finding cover for Harry Kane remains difficult. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been selected but played just 15 minutes across two substitute appearances in the last window, and Tuchel has used Bellingham as the back-up. Will Lankshear, the 21-year-old who left Tottenham for Middlesbrough for £20m this summer, has 13 Championship goals in as many games and 15 in all competitions, though he missed Middlesbrough's loss to Wrexham with a tweaked hamstring.
Morgan Gibbs-White was perhaps the unluckiest to miss the initial squad last time, then joined as a late replacement from a family holiday and featured in every game without starting. Tuchel values that dedication, but Forest's struggles and competition from Bellingham, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Eberechi Eze complicate his path. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, 28, has two goals and two assists for seventh-placed Everton and has turned down Republic of Ireland call-ups to pursue England, though team-mate James Garner was called up ahead of him.
Ben White, who ended his international hiatus in March, missed the World Cup and the first squad of this campaign with injuries; Tuchel said White would have been selected if fit and noted his Arsenal partnership with Bukayo Saka. With Reece James injured, White offers a right-back option. Jordan Henderson, 36, has not featured since breaking his arm at the World Cup but has become an important part of Chelsea's midfield, starting five games in a row and scoring twice against Bournemouth before an injury absence.
Supporters will debate whether Tuchel should reward form or experience, but those are opinions rather than settled outcomes: selection remains the manager's call, and no squad has been confirmed.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
