Tuchel Keeps Door Open for Dowman as England Prepare for World Cup; Three Big Names Left Out

England manager Thomas Tuchel has left the door ajar for Arsenal's teenage sensation Max Dowman to feature in the World Cup squad, despite omitting the 16-year-old from his latest selection.

Tuchel unveiled a 35-player contingent on Friday morning as England prepare for pre-World Cup friendlies against Uruguay and Japan this month—a final audition before the tournament proper.

The squad contains several eyebrow-raising selections. Leeds United's Dominic Calvert-Lewin, AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori, and Brighton's James Steele all feature, whilst Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire have been recalled to the fold.

Dowman, however, finds himself watching from the sidelines following his standout showing at Goodison Park. Yet the England boss has refused to rule out future involvement.

"That performance against Everton was absolutely brilliant," Tuchel explained. "There's no question he's an exceptional prospect for someone of his age. Everyone I speak to speaks incredibly highly of him.

"The reality, though, is that he's competing for starts. He's not a first-team regular at Arsenal. But that's the perfect place for him—he's learning from world-class players in a world-class setup.

"We might bring him into the World Cup picture. Young lads often have that fearlessness about them. There's no need to fast-track him now and pile on the pressure that comes with that, but we've got plenty of alternatives."

Three household names have been axed: Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid, Luke Shaw of Manchester United, and Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa.

Tuchel addressed the controversial calls. "It's never easy leaving out players of that calibre," he said. "But that's part of the job. These are purely sporting decisions. We're sticking with Quansah, Livramento, and Spence at the back.

"For the striker role, it's between Solanke and Calvert-Lewin. I don't know Calvert-Lewin as intimately as I know Watkins. I've got a firm grasp on what Ollie brings to the table. I need to take a closer look at other options to form a better picture.

"Trent's a big name, undeniably talented, with a stellar track record. But I know precisely what he can offer us."

Tuchel elaborated on his decision to include both Calvert-Lewin and Solanke, positioning them as potential deputies with a message attached.

"They're fairly similar types," the manager continued. "Harry Kane won't be with us from the start of camp. I want to assess both of them.

"I need to learn more about Solanke—he's been with us before, but injuries have kept him sidelined for quite a while.

"Calvert-Lewin's had a strong season at Leeds. Very clinical. Both are excellent penalty takers, actually.

"I want to see what they're capable of, whether they can bridge that gap, what they bring to the table, and what they can offer in set-piece situations with their physical attributes and height.

"The competition is live. They'll get minutes against Uruguay—a genuine opportunity to impress. They're buzzing about it."