Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and the eight England players with most at stake against Uruguay & Japan as competition for World Cup spots heats up

The Manchester United centre-back has returned to the squad for the first time since September 2024, a reward for his consistent displays for the Red Devils which have got even better under Michael Carrick. But he couldn't quite celebrate his recall as on the very same day he was sent off and gave away a penalty in United's 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

Maguire is among the most experienced players in the squad, having played in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and Euro 2020 while barely missing a game. Injury kept him out of Euro 2024 and he had previously been overlooked by Tuchel despite mostly remaining fit.

It will be fascinating to see how he copes playing in the high defensive line the German coach favours, particularly as he struggled at times playing in a high line under Ruben Amorim, especially in the defeat at Brentford earlier in the season.

Controversy and mystery have shrouded Ben White's England career ever since he left the squad in the middle of the 2022 World Cup for 'personal reasons', leaving him on just four caps. The story told most often is that White walked out on the squad after Steve Holland, Gareth Southgate's assistant coach, questioned how much the defender liked football.

Southgate, however, has denied the story and insisted neither he nor Holland had a problem with the player. He also revealed that he had tried to convince White to return to the fold after the Qatar World Cup, only for the player to say he had made himself not available for selection.

Tuchel revealed last year that he had reached out to White and 12 months later the player was called up in the absence of Jarell Quansah. His recall prompted an angry reaction on social media, with many suggesting he did not deserve another chance after leaving the squad four years ago. White is no longer a first-choice Arsenal player but Jurrien Timber's injury has given him a route back and now he is an international player again.

White's ability to play as a centre-back or right-back makes him extra useful to the coach. On the other hand, the coach might be concerned that the player is not clued up on his opponents as he has admitted he doesn't like to watch football in his spare time.

Foden can be deemed fortunate just to have made the 35-man squad given how much his form has suffered since the turn of the year, with him drifting out of the usual Manchester City starting line-up. A reminder of how far he has fallen came when he was brought on in the 90th minute in the Carabao Cup final, a move Wayne Rooney likened to "a charity sub".

Foden has not scored in his last 20 appearances for City and all he has to show since his bright patch of form in December is one assist against Fulham in February. And unlike some other players whose club form has faded, he does not have a great body of work with England to fall back on.

"Football sometimes is not straightforward," he said at Wembley. "There are ups and downs and sometimes you can't be the best version of yourself and that's the way it is. It's just about how you pick yourself back up."

If he does not seize the moment if given a chance against Uruguay or Japan, then he might not get another.

Cole Palmer has the curious status of scoring in the Euro 2024 final and getting an assist in the semi-final but then barely having an impact for England since. Hamstring and groin injuries limited Palmer to just one appearance in England's World Cup qualifying campaign while he played twice in the UEFA Nations League.

His maverick quality means he is a player worth having around even on the bench but there is fierce competition for his preferred roles of wide right forward or No. 10. His club form has also suffered in recent weeks and he has been in the firing line as Chelsea have lost their last four matches.

"You love Kobbie," said Ruben Amorim in a condescending tone to journalists covering Manchester United in December. "He starts for England, but that doesn't mean I need to put Kobbie on when I feel I shouldn't."

Mainoo's exile under Amorim led to him losing his place in the England squad but the midfielder's role in United's resurgence since Amorim was replaced by Carrick has been impossible to ignore and Tuchel has listened. Mainoo was arguably England's best player at Euro 2024, with the possible exception of Marc Guehi, with his calmness on the ball and distribution qualities laying the platform for their run to the final after an uninspiring start.

The question is whether he fits into Tuchel's vision of fast-paced football and can find a role alongside Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, who appear to have locked down their roles in the starting XI in the engine room.

Remarkably John Stones has made just one fewer start for England this season than for Manchester City in the Premier League. Despite his terrible run of injuries over the last few years, which he claimed last year led to him considering retirement, Tuchel remains fiercely loyal to him, calling him up for the fourth consecutive camp.

It speaks both to the high value Tuchel places on experienced players as well as to Stones' unique quality in carrying the ball out from defence. Southgate also repeatedly picked Stones, starting him in all seven games at Euro 2024 despite him having fitness troubles in the build-up to the tournament.

His lack of game time for his club has to be a concern, however, with Stones playing just two games - in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup respectively - since returning to fitness in February.

With Ollie Watkins dropped, there is a vacant centre-forward spot up for grabs and Calvert-Lewin has a chance to grab it, something that seemed highly unlikely one year ago.

Calvert-Lewin had not been called up since making a substitute's appearance against Ukraine during Euro 2020, with injuries severely hampering his career and meaning he started less than half of Everton's Premier League games between 2021 and leaving the club last year.

He has left his injury problems behind him at Leeds and scored 10 goals, including a hot streak of seven goals in six matches which saw him named Premier League player of the month for December. There is some concern about a run of only one strike in his last nine games but if he can find the net for England it would go a long way towards securing his ticket to North America in June.

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