Ex-England right-back Kyle Walker names THREE World Cup squad calls Thomas Tuchel arguably got wrong as he supports snubbed trio

Speaking at a special World Cup preview event hosted by The Sun, the former Manchester City and Tottenham defender expressed his surprise that Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White and Manchester United duo Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire were left out of the 2026 World Cup selection.

Walker admitted he has concerns regarding the current backline, noting that several players included are either struggling for form or carrying knocks. He said: "The defence... I do think there’s a lot there that have probably not played too great or who are carrying injuries that, can you completely rely on for the stretch of the tournament? That’s where I probably question some of them, but I’m not the manager."

The omission of Maguire was one of the most significant calls of the Tuchel era so far. The veteran defender, who has been a pillar of the England side for nearly a decade, was "shocked and gutted" by the decision to leave him at home despite making 25 appearances for the Red Devils this term. Walker backed his former teammate, insisting that both Maguire and Shaw were deserving of their places based on their recent performances at Old Trafford.

"Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw have probably had the best seasons for Manchester United in a long time and are now not at the tournament," the Burnley star added. "I do think Luke Shaw, for me, should have been on the plane and I do think Harry Maguire should have been on the plane." The veteran right-back also expressed concern over the fitness of his former Man City team-mate John Stones and the availability of Chelsea captain Reece James, despite praising both players' quality.

Walker highlighted Gibbs-White as another major miss for the Three Lions, pushing the playmaker's case into the spotlight. "I probably would have taken Morgan Gibbs-White. He’s been fantastic for Forest," He insisted. The Forest midfielder has been open about his own disappointment, suggesting that he had simply "got on the wrong side of someone’s opinion" after an impressive campaign where he recorded 18 goals.

The discussion also touched on the absence of Phil Foden, another of Walker's long-term team-mate. While acknowledging Tuchel had the final say, Walker urged Foden to use the setback as motivation. "I’ve played with him for eight years, but he’s not on the plane," Walker remarked. "It’s football. What do you do, sulk and cry in the corner, or work harder? He just needs to make sure that come the start of the new season... he puts his best foot forward and make sure that he is the first name on the team sheet.”

Despite the tournament being played in the sweltering heat of the United States, Walker dismissed any excuses regarding player fatigue or burnout. A veteran of five major tournaments, he rubbished the notion that modern squads are physically overstretched, insisting that tournament adrenaline naturally overrides exhaustion.

"Players don’t get tired," he declared. "I hear a lot about players’ burnout... I felt that mentally you’re tired but you’re physically not tired. I feel that you go into autopilot and if your head’s telling your legs that you can run, you will be able to run. You’re representing your country at a major tournament. Any boy or girl would dream of doing that."

Tuchel, however, has confirmed that England are tapping into the elite expertise of Team GB to manage heat acclimatisation and cooling strategies. Despite Walker's "autopilot" theory, the FA are leaving nothing to chance regarding sports science and biometric monitoring during their Florida training camp.