'Secret' England player joining World Cup squad is revealed after Thomas Tuchel remained tight-lipped
The England player joining the squad for World Cup preparations who Thomas Tuchel said he could not name, has been revealed.
Tuchel announced his 26-man squad on Friday, making some big calls by leaving out Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire and bringing both Jordan Henderson and Ivan Toney back into the fold.
Djed Spence's selection ahead of Lewis Hall also caused a stir, as did the exclusion of Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White.
The German spoke at length about the tough decisions he was forced into making ahead of his international tournament, which kicks off against Croatia on 17 June in Arlington, Texas.
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Before then, England will jet out to south Florida for a preparation camp before they play friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica. In his press conference, Tuchel confirmed that three uncapped players will be part of the group - with Bournemouth's Alex Scott, Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha and Fulham's Josh King all accepting the opportunity.
Tuchel also said that a fourth player would be present but did not name him.
READ MORE: Harry Kane intervened and made sure Thomas Tuchel picked one player for England squad
Tuchel stated: "Alex Scott. Rio Ngumoha. Josh King. And there will be one more player we cannot name because it's not confirmed yet.
"But I'm happy these guys are with us, especially Alex who was on the list of 55 and had a disappointing phone call that he didn't make the first cut.
"But the reaction of him was outstanding, the wish to be in pre-camp and close to the team, it wasn't even a question for him.
"I'm glad he's with us because it was a close call and he has a chance to get a first camp."
It has now been verified by the Daily Mail that the fourth player is Ethan Nwaneri, who spent the second half of the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Marseille from Arsenal.
Nwaneri, previously the youngest player to play in the Premier League until Max Dowman burst onto the scene, qualified for a Premier League winners' medal after playing six times for Arsenal.
He headed to Marseille in the hope of regular game-time and scored 13 minutes into his debut. However, he made just three starts in Marseille's final 16 games as they finished fifth in Ligue One.
Nwaneri is eligible to play for both Nigeria and France through his parents but has played for England at various youth levels and was a key part of the side which won the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Any injuries or issues for players in the 26-man squad could open up a spot for the aforementioned four players, with Scott seemingly best-placed after a superb season for Bournemouth saw him make the initial 55-man squad.
Arsenal players involved in the Champions League final are being afforded extra time off, with Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson also joining up later due to the Conference League final on Wednesday.
Ethan Nwaneri could leave Arsenal after England role
The 19-year-old signed a long-term contract with Arsenal after an incredible breakthrough season at the Emirates Stadium. But Nwaneri may have to move on from the Premier League champions in order to play regularly and Sky Germany say that Borussia Dortmund are keeping tabs on the attacking midfielder.
Dortmund have a long-standing interest in Nwaneri, with the club developing a reputation for taking English talents who were struggling for gametime elsewhere.
Nwaneri has been with Arsenal since the age of eight and was playing for the Under 18's by the time he was 14.
He is said to be open to a move away, though a high transfer would be demanded by Arsenal.
Topics: England, Thomas Tuchel, Football World Cup
Josh Lawless