- Thomas Tuchel will announce England squad tomorrow
- Harry Maguire already understood not to be included
- Increases likelihood of John Stones being selected
Harry Maguire is set to miss out on a spot at the World Cup this summer, which could indicate whether John Stones will be on the plane to North America.
England’s World Cup squad will be announced at 09:45 UK time on Friday, and Manchester City could have a number of players represented.
While the likes of Marc Guehi and James Trafford are almost certain to be included in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, there are two players at risk of missing out.
Phil Foden is one, having spent much of the latter stage of the season on the bench. The other is John Stones, who has missed so many matches due to injury.
John Stones should benefit from Harry Maguire’s omission
Luckily for Stones, Alex Crook on behalf of talkSPORT has revealed that Harry Maguire will not be going to the World Cup.
This news has come as a surprise, as when the defender has been fit, he has regularly started for Manchester United.
It is a shame for Maguire to miss out on what would have been his final World Cup tournament, but his loss could be Stones’ gain.
After all, the Man City defender’s chances of going to America have definitely increased now that Maguire is out.
Stones suffered an injury blow at the worst moment
Injuries have played Stones this season, including muscle, thigh and calf problems. The timing of his most recent one could not have been worse, as it meant he missed out on England’s March friendlies.
With Stones playing a minimal role at Man City since then, it seemed like any future international opportunities were hanging by a thread, and that still might be the case.
However, with Maguire not selected, Tuchel will surely want a different centre-back who offers experience. If so, then including Stones is the best call.
One last dance for Stones
It is likely that this will be the last World Cup Stones plays at if he is chosen by Tuchel. In fact, it could even be his last chance to play at a major international tournament.
The 31-year-old is not getting any younger, and leaving Man City will not do his national team status any favours.
So hopefully he will be given an opportunity this summer. If not, Tuchel might live to regret not adding more seniority to his backline.
