England manager Thomas Tuchel has finalized his tactical preparations by naming Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri to the senior training camp in Florida ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The 19-year-old completes a quartet of young prospects integrated into the Miami camp, alongside Alex Scott of Bournemouth, Josh King of Fulham, and Rio Ngumoha of Liverpool.
Nwaneri gets the call-up despite a difficult loan spell at Marseille, where he scored only two goals in nine Ligue 1 appearances after the sudden departure of manager Roberto De Zerbi.
The selection favors Nwaneri over his Arsenal teammate Max Dowman, who recently became the youngest scorer in Premier League history at 16 years and 73 days old.
National coaches preferred Nwaneri due to his extensive international experience, having won the European Championship with the England Under-21 team in 2025.
"We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need," Tuchel said.
Tuchel Praises Scott's Commitment
Tuchel expressed particular praise for Scott, who missed the initial 26-man tournament squad but showed strong commitment to joining the preliminary sessions.
"I'm happy to have these players, especially Alex who was on the long list of 55 players and obviously he didn't make the first cut," Tuchel said.
"The reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him."
The manager noted the decision regarding the Bournemouth player was a close call, providing him an immediate opportunity to integrate further with the senior national setup.
"That showed me his character and I'm delighted he'll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap," Tuchel added.
Tuchel faces domestic pressure over his squad selection, with former Premier League forward Troy Deeney criticizing the exclusion of creative players like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.
The preparation players will join the main roster for two friendly matches in Florida, starting against New Zealand at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on June 6, followed by a game against Costa Rica in Orlando on June 10.
