Jamie Carragher has explained why Thomas Tuchel opposed the selection of England’s 16-goal striker and what he plans to do if Harry Kane is unavailable.
Tuchel’s latest Three Lions squad included some interesting talking points. The returns of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham were welcomed by many, but there was also an interesting selection of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott.
Elsewhere, Ollie Watkins is out of form, Ivan Toney has played just two minutes in an England shirt since Euro 2024, and captain Kane is the only striker missing.
Brighton striker Danny Welbeck has scored 16 goals in an England shirt, last scoring in 2018, and has scored six goals in the Premier League this season and has recently been mentioned as a possible addition to the squad.
But Carragher explained why he feels a striker was not selected and what Tuchel will do if Kane is no longer available.
“We’re lucky to have Harry Kane. I think a lot of countries are looking for a striker right now.
“Instead of bringing in a player like Danny Welbeck who he doesn’t think is good enough because of his age, maybe he[Tuchel]is thinking, ‘If Kane is out, we’ll use something different.’
“[Tuchel]will either play a false nine or use the wide areas to close the midfield. Kane is really outstanding for us. We’re a big step back behind him.”
“But sometimes that’s the nature of international teams. I think that’s the situation with strikers right now.”
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England also have a wealth of attacking talent in other forward areas. Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen can both play as false nines, contributing 15 and five goals respectively this season.
Foden and Bellingham have also previously played alone in midfield, giving Tuchel good options if Kane is unavailable.
Having said that, he will no doubt be hoping that one of the other strikers at his disposal performs well in the lead up to the World Cup. Watkins has often played in a shoot-in role for England recently, but the 20-capped striker has scored just one goal in 16 appearances for Aston Villa this season.
If Liam Delap can start to have an impact at Chelsea, it looks like he could be an option. He has contributed five goals for England Under-21s, but has yet to find the back of the net since moving to Stamford Bridge.
Read more: Arsenal under threat of star rivals, Tuchel talks about how to qualify for World Cup
