The six England players Thomas Tuchel needs to give a chance

Thomas Tuchel remains a coach with as many questions as answers. In defence, it is impossible to even pick one certain starter, especially given the current injury situation. The fact that Tuchel said that at centre-back it is “Jarell (Quansah) and one other” says it all about the options on England‘s table. Declan Rice’s fitness concerns heighten the need for a confident backup should the worst happen. Up front, Harry Kane continues to age in reverse, but at 33, playing three games a week, even someone as near-bionic as the soon-to-be all-time top capper cannot be totally relied upon. And with a home Euros on the horizon, Tuchel is not going to have too many windows to find the answers he is still looking for. The next two matches against Croatia and Spain represent as good an opportunity as any. Here are six players I want to see get some game time over the next week. Rio Ngumoha With Kane as a role model, Ngumoha insists he has everything in place to become the next Englishman, after the skipper, to win the Ballon d’Or. Sitting down with him at England’s training camp this week left everyone in attendance convinced that such an eventuality is very possible. Rio Ngumoha wants to follow Kane in winning the Ballon d’Or (Photo: Reuters) “I’m quite fearless,” he said. “I feel like if there’s an opportunity to beat my man, I’ll always do it. I feel like it was the way I came up really, playing in cages near my house.”That’s what everyone wants to see, right? Dominic Calvert-Lewin It is fair to say Calvert-Lewin is in the form of his life. No English player has scored more Premier League goals since the start of last season than the Leeds United striker. A traditional No 9 in every sense, he offers attributes few others possess in the modern game, with a game intelligence that comes from years of honing your craft at the highest level. In his media activity this week, he also raised the interesting possibility of playing alongside Kane, rather than instead of. It is always good to have a Plan B. “Harry is someone I’d love to play with,” he said. “I look at how he likes to get on the ball… he assists as many as he scores so for me I’d be rubbing my hands together.” Jobe Bellingham The common assumption is that Jobe Bellingham, given their resemblance, is just a younger version of his brother, in every sense. But the reason we should get to see the Bellinghams in the same team together, becoming the first brothers to play together for England since the Nevilles, is their styles of play complement each other perfectly, with the Borussia Dortmund metronome offering an alternate option for that Rice understudy spot. “Jude is much more aggressive in the last 20-30 metres of the pitch,” Tuchel insisted this week. “He just smells blood when it comes to goalscoring and assisting. “Jobe is for me a deeper position. More a build-up player and connector between the deeper body of the game than the offensive.” Jude Bellingham with brother Jobe in England training (Photo: AFP) Ben White Selection at right-back has never seen such a furore. What sort of reaction will White get from Wembley? His last appearance was greeted by a cacophony of discontent, disapproval at having the temerity to withdraw from a squad for personal reasons. As is often the case with football fans, envious of the riches and privilege of players, the reasons for White’s decision in 2022 were not taken into account. Now that he has explained himself, it remains to be seen if his re-emergence will provoke a different response. “I think obviously people don’t know the full story, because I [have] never said anything and I won’t put anyone under the bus or share any of that,” White said this week. “I think that is probably the best way. It’s been amazing [though], obviously a bit tricky and not straightforward, but it is amazing to be here now.” Morgan Gibbs-White You always wonder if things would be different for Gibbs-White if he had not been denied that big-club move. For a player of the midfielder’s creative ability, 10 caps seems criminal. Of course, competing with Jude Bellingham and the other myriad of No 10s is not easy, but there would ordinarily be a role somewhere for the likes of Gibbs-White. All of those caps are off the bench, too. We know full well what Bellingham can do, perhaps it is time to see what the most deserving playmaker in the squad can offer from the start. Read more England: ‘Tuchel 2.0’: The eight leaders building a new England Kat Lucas: Thomas Tuchel was right about Cole Palmer James Garner All action Garner can do no more. He made the most tackles, passes, interceptions, assists and chances created for Everton last term. Numbers across the board most midfielders can only dream about. How England could do with a player who offers such levels of influence. Given the chance, the 25-year-old may be the best suited to go toe-to-toe with Spain’s ball-playing maestros.