England head coach Thomas Tuchel expands squad for World Cup warm-up friendlies

Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is set to make his senior England debut during the upcoming World Cup warm-up friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica in the United States. Scott has joined the England squad as a supplementary member for the pre-tournament training camp in Florida, alongside Rio Ngumoha, Josh King, Jason Steele, and Ethan Nwaneri.

Although not selected in Thomas Tuchel’s final 26-man World Cup squad, the five players are eligible to feature in the friendlies and will remain in Florida for the duration of the camp. This arrangement ensures they stay with the team even after the arrival of other squad members, providing additional depth for the preparation phase.

Scott was named in Tuchel’s provisional 55-man squad for the tournament, which distinguishes him from the other supplementary players. As the only member of this group to have previously made the provisional list, he is considered the most likely candidate to join the final tournament party should any injuries occur. The 22-year-old is expected to make his international debut in one of the upcoming friendlies before heading off for his summer break.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel highlighted Scott’s “outstanding” reaction to not making the initial cut, citing his character, spirit, and commitment to the pre-camp as reasons for his inclusion. Tuchel noted that Scott’s wish to be a step closer to the team was not in question, describing the decision to include him as a close call based on his demonstrated resilience.

Other key squad members, including Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke, along with Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, are expected to join the camp over the weekend following their involvement in European finals. Henderson is due to arrive within 24 hours, while the remaining four are expected to report for duty over the weekend.

Scott’s path to this point has seen him omitted from the squads for the matches against Japan and Uruguay in March, after he earned his senior first call-up for the November matches against Serbia and Albania but did not make an appearance. His inclusion in the supplementary group marks a significant step in his international career as England finalises preparations for the tournament.