Gareth Southgate announced yesterday the 26 players chosen to represent England at the World Cup. Not a lot of surprises as Reece James and Ben Chilwell couldn’t make it because of injuries. England will also leave for Doha with James Maddison, Callum Wilson, Ben White and young Conor Gallagher in their bags. However, apart from James and Chilwell, the main notable absentees are still quite numerous. Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Tammy Abraham (AS Roma), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Joe Gomez (Liverpool) and Ivan Toney (Brentford) can be disappointed. In another big absence, Jadon Sancho is paying for his mediocre performances in a disappointing Manchester team.
Chelsea has begun the seduction operation. The 16-year-old Endrick, who is being courted by almost everyone in Europe, was invited by the Blues to visit their training centre, according to The Times. The Palmeiras striker also met Thiago Silva, a 38-year-old Brazilian national team executive. Along with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea is among the most advanced clubs in the race for the player.
If Gareth Southgate leaves after the 2022 World Cup, Graham Potter is being tipped to take over as England's coach. The national tabloids are already listing Graham Potter as the favourite to take over in 2023, ahead of Newcastle coach Eddie Howe. Former England stars such as Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have also been mentioned. Abroad, Mauricio Pochettino and Arsene Wenger are also being considered as possible future England coaches.