That’s all we have time for on this blog. Here were the biggest stories of the day:
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Thomas Tuchel has named his 26-man England squad for this summer’s World Cup, handing a shock call-up to Ivan Toney and leaving out Harry Maguire, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden.
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Michael Carrick has been appointed the new permanent head coach of Manchester United.
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Pep Guardiola confirmed he is leaving Manchester City, who announced that the Spaniard will have a stand at the Etihad named after him and a statue built. Guardiola later revealed he will take a break from coaching.
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Roberto De Zerbi has defended Cristian Romero’s decision to miss Tottenham’s decisive final game against Everton on Sunday after the Spurs captain flew to Argentina to watch his boyhood club.
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Robbie Keane has resigned as head coach of Ferencvaros and is now the favourite for the Celtic job.
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Here is your Premier League team news and predicted line-ups.
Cheers, and roll on the weekend! Bye!
We ran this story earlier this week …
… and now US officials are Congo’s national soccer team must isolate before travelling to the country for the World Cup.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed to ESPN on Friday that the Congolese delegation must maintain a bubble where they currently are training in Belgium and isolate for 21 days or risk being denied entry.
Congo is in Group K for this summer’s World Cup in North America. Its first game is against Portugal on 17 June in Houston, followed by matches against Colombia on 23 June in Guadalajara, Mexico, and against Uzbekistan on 27 June in Atlanta.
“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on 11 June,” Giuliani said. “We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well, that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We cannot be any clearer.“
All of Congo’s team members – including with French head coach Sébastien Desabre, defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United) and forward Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United) – are based outside of the central African country. That said, it looks like Ebola situation is worsening in Congo.
It’s very interesting that Djed Spence has been named in the squad, given that he is not an automatic first-choice full-back for a struggling Tottenham team. Spence also broke his jaw earlier this week after a challenge from Chelsea’s Liam Delap, but is clear to play for Spurs against Everton in a protective mask and is thus fit for the England duty.
In fairness to Tuchel, he was clear on why he picked Spence, viewing the former Middlesbrough defender as a “specialist”, something he has made reference to in many of his selection comments. Spence is the fastest player in the squad and is valued for his one-on-one defending. That means he might be deployed with a specific task of pocketing an elite opposition winger. Here’s what Tuchel said in full on Spence earlier:
He was excellent in every single match he played for us. He suffers for the third change of coach at his club. He brings something to the group that we don’t have in his profile: he loves defending, he loves one-on-one defending, he’s the fastest player in our squad. That makes him a standout full-back for us. He can play both sides.
Before the March camp, we have this discussion and said ‘we’re a bit concerned with what is going on at Tottenham. You’re not getting the minutes, you’re not having the impact that we want to see. If you come here, you have to prove yourself again.’ He honestly did that against Uruguay and that was the decision that I can really trust him.
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Now that all of the Premier League team news is in, here are the predicted line-ups for Sunday. I wonder how many England players will take to the field? There will be plenty of internationals keen to avoid any heartbreaking injuries on the last day of the season. In our predicted Arsenal line-up, there is no Saka, Rice or Saliba.
It’s Fiorentina v Atalanta this evening. The Bergamo club announced a new club crest earlier today. Thoughts?
“Ours is a long story made of hard work, joy, athletes, sweat-soaked shirts and passionate fans,” trumpeted president Antonio Percassi. “It is also a story of Bergamasque identity, reflected in the crests that have marked the different eras throughout nearly 120 years of Atalanta history. We chose to stand out even more, to be instantly recognisable. Here is Atalanta’s new crest. History. Identity. Values. Future.”
An exclusive from Tom Garry:
A proposal to allow four academy sides from Women’s Super League clubs to join the third tier from 2027 has been approved by the FA Women’s National League board.
Barcelona star Alexia Putellas refused to answer questions about her future beyond this season as the former Ballon d’Or winner prepares for Saturday’s Women’s Champions League final against Lyon. Both sides are chasing a quadruple.
It is Barcelona’s sixth straight final — and seventh in eight years — in an era shaped by Aitana Bonmatí and Putellas. The latte has been linked by Spanish media with a move to London City Lionesses, who belong to Lyon owner Michele Kang.
“I am only focusing on the immediate future, which is the final,” Putellas, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2021 and 2022, told reporters.
That doesn’t sound like someone that is going to stay.
As well as his England squad announcement, Thomas Tuchel earlier had a word for Pep Guardiola:
The impact he had on every league where he trained, it’s just one of a kind, just one of the very, very, very best. He made a big revolution with the way he played at Barcelona and then he put everything upside down in the German league, and then he comes here and crushes every record. It’s just outstanding. There are no words that can describe this determination and this level of input, it’s just highest, highest level.
Robbie Keane resigns as head coach of Ferencvaros
The former Republic of Ireland striker is well regarded after winning the Hungarian championship last season and the Hungarian Cup this season. He also coached Maccabi Tel Aviv to Israeli Premier League in 2023–24.
Keane is now the joint favourite to take over at Celtic. Martin O’Neill is equally backed to keep the job he did so well in this season just gone. Will be very interesting to keep an eye on that one in the coming days or weeks. I imagine Celtic will want to act fast and appoint quickly for the sake of clarity and summer planning.
O’Neill, of course, will be in charge on Saturday as Celtic and Dunfermline meet in the final of the Scottish Cup for the fifth time.
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Hello everyone. Back from my stroll around ‘The Level’ in Brighton, which is just about the only flat bit of ground in the city. Let’s dive back into the day’s footy news and analysis.
With that, I shall pass back to Mr Michael Butler.
Barney Ronay has weighed in on Thomas Tuchel’s England selection.
A word here on how the media works. People don’t really care about England the way they used to outside of actual tournament games. They care about clubs and players. They care about perceived injustice. A reasoned squad analysis is cold product. But talking energetically about the snubbing of favourite players will make the line go up.
More on De Zerbi and Romero from Ed Aarons.
Romero, who has not played since injuring a knee against Sunderland last month but has a chance of playing at the World Cup, has been criticised for opting to attend Belgrano’s game against River Plate in a league playoff final. But De Zerbi said Romero’s trip had been sanctioned by Tottenham’s medical department and pointed out that the 28-year-old cannot affect the result at home to Everton regardless.
Tony Hughes gets in touch: “I feel Harvey Barnes gambled and lost. I don’t necessarily blame him - he’s English - but I think making even the squad for England was unlikely for him, whereas he’d have been a shoo-in for Scotland.
“The rebuttal of course is that he doesn’t feel Scottish so why play for them. Did Matt Elliott? Did Neil Sullivan? Does Che Adams? Probably not but it didn’t stop them playing and putting themselves out there on the international stage. Barnes, at 28, could have played at a World Cup, likely the only finals tournament he’d ever play in. “
Listen to Jonathan Liew on the England squad.
Breaking news…from Elgin City.
Club statement:
“Following the conclusion of an internal investigation conducted in accordance with the clubs policies and procedures, we can confirm that the men’s first-team manager has been dismissed with immediate effect after a finding of gross misconduct.
“The club will make no further comment on this matter. We can now fully focus on the positive process of appointing a new manager and the continuation of our player recruitment plans.
“We sincerely thank our players, supporters, sponsors and staff for their continued support whilst we complete this process.”
The manager is Allan Hale, suspended on 7 May “with immediate effect, pending an ongoing investigation”. Elgin are in Scottish League Two.
Manchester United play at Brighton on Sunday, a game far bigger for Brighton but it will be Michael Carrick’s first game as permanent United manager.
“It’s good to make steps, good to get in the Champions League, good to finish third, but (I want) to make this place better. I must admit on Sunday in the stadium it felt a little bit different. There was a real togetherness and kind of enjoyment from everyone and that was powerful for me.
“Supporting Manchester United and looking forward to what can happen should always be like that. That’s the drive (to win trophies) and for us to reward the fans would be pretty special.”
Will Unwin also did a season-by-season guide to the Pep Guardiola years.
2018-19: domestic treble winners
A comparatively poor 98 points and 95 goals followed but every single one was vital as Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool fought City until the bitter end. The two clubs exchanged the lead at the top of the table 32 times over the course of the season. City won their final 14 league matches on their way to domestic glory, lifting the League Cup and the FA Cup along the way. It was an English team that would ruin the European dream once more, as Tottenham surprisingly eliminated City in the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals after a dramatic tie in Manchester.
Andrew Benton gets in touch: “The big question for me is can these disparate players gel really well together as a team, and develop from there into brilliance? Well, I trust Thomas Tuchel’s experience and vision to bring it all the way home, sixty years on. Wouldn’t that be cool?!”
Will Unwin spoke to the Hull owner, the Turkish Simon Cowell. Think that’s supposed to be a good thing. It’s the Championship playoff final tomorrow.
“Wembley is a place that I suffered when I was a kid with Turkish national team games and now I am going to Wembley for a final as an owner of a club that I bought four years ago,” says Ilicali. “It means a lot to me. Wembley stadium, the dream of our fans filling the stands with their flags – amber and black, colours I love so much – all around … Imagining it is getting me excited.”
Similar sentiments from Nuno Espirito Santo for Jarrod Bowen. West Ham have other considerations on Super Sunday.
“He was sad. It’s something that Jarrod really, really wanted to achieve in his personal career. Being a World Cup representative is one of the most important things.
“He’s sad, but he will immediately turn the page and focus on Sunday.”
“We are very proud to have Jarrod as skipper. Sometimes things don’t go well but the work rate and the commitment of Jarrod and the way he leads by example on his team-mates makes us very, very proud of him as a club captain.
“The pressure? No, he embraced it. It’s not the reason. He embraced it and he’s a leader.
“I think it’s not the best to channel any frustration. Jarrod doesn’t have to prove nothing to anybody. He just has to be himself, the best of him and the best of all the players. That’s what we need on Sunday.”
Let’s pick up some loose ends from a big day, including Cole Palmer. His current Chelsea coach, Calum McFarlane, has proffered soothing words to one of England’s exiles.
“In life and in football, especially in football, I’ve learnt that you need to take every setback as a positive There’s going to be lots of them. There’s going to be losses, there’s going to be moments like this. If you have the right mindset, you can turn it into a positive.
“It’s not anything to do with me. I’ve spoken loads of times about how I feel and how the club feel about Cole. The England manager has made a decision. In that moment it’s probably best to speak to him.
“It’s football. You’re going to have so many moments like this, whether it be on the pitch, off the pitch. The reason they’re at this level and are able to play for a club of this magnitude is because they can deal with setbacks.”
Thanks, Michael Butler, quite the stint there.
And with that, I’ll hand over to John Brewin for the next hour. In a bit!
The specific motives for Romero going back to Argentina are unclear, although it should be flagged that his boyhood club have an Argentina Cup match on Saturday night. Maybe he wanted to watch that instead.
That the Tottenham club captain is not even on the sidelines for Sunday’s crunch clash will surely have gone down badly in the dressing room, as well as with supporters. I can’t personally see the defender being at Spurs next season, regardless of whether De Zerbi’s side survive relegation.
De Zerbi understands fans' anger over absent Romero
You may have missed the story regarding Christian Romero, the injured Tottenham captain who has sparked controversy by flying to Argentina days before Spurs host Everton in Sunday’s huge relegation decider.
Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed on Friday that Romero is back in his homeland at boyhood club Belgrano to continue his rehabilitation from a knee injury before the World Cup and whilst the Spurs boss was initially guarded about his skipper’s absence, he acknowledged the disappointment of the London club’s supporters.
“100%, I understand. [Romero] spoke with the medical staff and together they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with Argentinian medical staff.
“I want to be clear, I am not stupid. If I understand there is any player who thinks for himself before the club, I can’t be the same Roberto, but with Cuti Romero, I can’t say anything because with me, in my time, he has been correct from the beginning until now. The decision was with the medical staff and I think he can’t change anything if Romero is at the stadium or not.
“Finally, I have no time to lose energy and to lose thinking other things. We have to be focused on the game and we have the players good enough to achieve our target.”
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I think Thomas Tuchel will have watched a lot of Bayern Munich this season, namely because of Harry Kane. I wonder to what extent Tuchel is ready to mimic Bayern’s strategy, which is to largely build the team around the Englishman, especially as England are similar in profile to the German side: a left-footed right winger that sets the tempo and cuts inside, a left winger that can get beyond Kane when he drops deep, technical but also physical central midfielders.
I’m not saying England are as good as the Champions League semi-finalists, but Tuchel will surely have taken some lessons from his former side this season. One big difference between England and Bayern are Tuchel’s full-backs. Reece James and Nico O’Reilly are huge weapons for England offensively, but obviously the more they get forward, the more the midfield and defence has to work to cover them.
A good stat from Opta, this World Cup will be the first since 1986 that there will be no Liverpool player in an England men’s squad for a major tournament.
Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez, Liverpool’s only English first-team regulars, were never really in Tuchel’s thoughts. Harvey Elliott, currently on loan at Aston Villa, hasn’t kicked a ball since March.
Plenty going on here in England, then. But we are also approaching the final weekend of action in La Liga. Álvaro Arbeloa, interim head coach at Real Madrid, confirmed today the worst kept secret in football: that he will not be at Madrid as head coach next season. The following is from Reuters:
Arbeloa, a former Real defender who has previously coached their youth team and the reserve side, joined the 15-time European champions in January to replace his compatriot Xabi Alonso, and led Real to a second-placed finish in LaLiga.
But with media reports linking José Mourinho with a return to Real as coach, Arbeloa confirmed he would not be staying on, but left the door open to return to the club in the future.
“Mou has a fantastic coaching staff; he’s very well supported. If he arrives, he’ll bring his own team with him, as it should be. There’s no chance I’ll be working with him,” Arbeloa told reporters on Friday, a day before Real’s final La Liga game of the season against Athletic Bilbao. “I’ve spent the last four months thinking about Madrid. From now on, it’s time to think about myself. I’ve taken the leap, I feel ready for new challenges.“
Alonso left Real following a Spanish Super Cup loss to Barcelona, before his replacement Arbeloa also failed to get the best out of a fractured dressing room that descended into chaos.
The breaking point came when captain Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni engaged in a dressing room fight that left Valverde in hospital with a cut earlier this month, with both players being fined €500,000 each.
“I know what state the team was in when I arrived. What I’ve had to deal with. If I’d started from the beginning, it would have been different. But that’s what I was given, and I’ve tried to do it in the best possible way,” Arbeloa said. “I’m happy with what we’ve achieved. I’m leaving on good terms with almost everyone.“
The 43-year-old said he hoped to return to Real. “I hope it’s just a ’see you later’, I’ve always considered Madrid my home. I’ve been with Madrid for 20 years, it’s my home,” the former Spain international said. “It’s my last match of the season, I don’t know if it’ll be my last as Madrid’s manager, you never know. I’ll try to enjoy it. And I’m focused on winning.”
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The goodbyes are not limited to Manchester City, of course. Here is Andy Hunter on Mohamed Salah’s farewell:
And if you missed our interview with Andy Robertson on Thursday evening, here is it.
Will Unwin charts the trophy-laden decade that followed Pep Guardiola taking over from Manuel Pellegrini in 2016.
That’s all from the Pep Guardiola press conference.
Pep Guardiola:
Sir Alex Ferguson means a lot to me. He’s the greatest in this country. For many reasons. I miss Johan Cruyff but I’m happy that Sir Alex was there to watch us. He is our neighbour.
I never thought I would stay 10 years. Impossible. I signed for three years initially. It helped that Ferran [Soriano] was here, that Txiki [Begiristain] was here. The manager was always protected.
I think I will take a while [to rest]. But I have to prove that myself. The people have been demanding trebles. I need to breathe a little bit.
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Pep Guardiola is asked about his most important moment:
The first Premier League is important. The Champions League, I cannot deny.
I was speaking to Noel Gallagher years ago. He said to me ‘City used to be a team that could not win four games in a row. Now we are a team that wins four Premier League titles in a row.
Pep Guardiola:
I am speechless [about the new stand being named after him]. I like to feel that my vibe or my energy will be there forever. It’s the biggest honour I can get. Thank you so much to the club. On Sunday, my father will come – he’s 94 years old – and our name will be in this incredible place.
Pep Guardiola:
I told the players this morning. The speech was a disaster. I was nervous.
I know I have had incredible success and it is nice to be be talked about like that '[as the greatest manager of all time]. What made me happy is that I got messages from Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday, also from Manuel [Akanji] and Kevin [De Bruyne].
I am leaving with incredible peace that I gave everything to this club. Many, many people have been involved in that.
Pep Guardiola:
I want to say a proper goodbye to my people. That’s why I wanted to announce. I am going to rest for a while. No training. I would love to continue to be a part of this club, not as a manager. But if they need me to represent them, I will be there. This organisation has many, many clubs.
Just like Jürgen Klopp, I have that energy but I will not have it in the future. To fight for the titles. After 10 years, it’s good to shake, to move. This season we have been exceptional, fighting against Arsenal. It’s the perfect moment, the perfect time.
Pep Guardiola:
It’s the experience of my life. I cannot be more grateful for the affection that I have had in these days. It’s the time to leave. It’s a process that I felt for a while. The club have respected that, they are ready. The club needs new manager, new energy. They can write another chapter.
Pep Guardiola's final pre-match press conference as Manchester City manager
Here we go.
“I have quibbles,” emails Adam Blackwell. “I’d rather have a naturally left-sided defensive player in the squad to give us options but I ask myself ‘how likely is it that I would have picked a ‘better’ squad than Tuchel?” and it just doesn’t seem probable. In the end, Tuchel clearly has a plan and I’d rather someone execute on a plan than just pick the best players. Will it work? Probably not. It’s hard to win a World Cup. But I’ve got no real issues with this selection.”
Obviously we have to cede to Tuchel, he is a Champions League-winning manager, and we are humble fans and journalists. I agree with Adam that it’s not the exact squad I would pick, but there is a lot to be said for knowing what makes a team tick, on and off the pitch. Of all the quotes that Tuchel gave this morning, I thought this was the most telling:
I think from day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships, it is as simple as that. What we are trying to achieve in the summer can only be achieved as a team.
Few would argue that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are not among the most ‘talented’ English players available. But fitness, form, personality and their suitability in a 4-3-3 mean they have not been selected.
That’s the end of our Q&A with Jacob. Thanks for all of your questions. A reminder that Pep Guardiola’s final pre-match press conference as Manchester City manager starts in a few minutes. We’ll bring you all the best bits.
Will more English players move to Saudi Arabia?
“Does Ivan Toney’s inclusion open up the idea that English players can move to Saudi Arabia and still be noticed?” asks Stephen Aston. “Do you think we will see more players moving to Saudi?”
Jacob:
Good point, Stephen. Obviously there were a lot of dismissive comments around players going there when the boom initially happened. Jordan Henderson ended up missing out on a Euro 2024 spot because he wasn’t sharp enough after half a season there. There are some decent sides in the league, though. Take Manchester City losing to Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup last summer. But away from the football I guess a big unknown is whether the geopolitical situation is going to make players think twice about moving to the Middle East.
Should Lewis Hall have been included?
“‘How unlucky is Lewis Hall to be omitted after marking Lamine Yamal out of a Champions League game, and is it a concern that once again we are going into a tournament without a specialist left back?” emails Paul Linford.
Jacob:
We do have a specialist left-back – Nico O’Reilly, who’s been playing there every week for Manchester City, winning two trophies. He’ll start and I’m not sure Lewis Hall is that unlucky. Good player but Newcastle haven’t had a great season.
Starting XI for England's first World Cup game?
“What is your starting XI for England’s game against Croatia,” queries Colin Rutherford.
Jacob:
4-3-3
Pickford
James, Stones (if fit), Guehi, O’Reilly
Anderson, Rice, Bellingham
Saka, Kane, Rashford
Why was Jarrod Bowen left out?
Sholto Maud asks: “can you give us any more insight into Jarrod Bowen’s omission?”
Jacob:
Tuchel said that the situation at West Ham ended up counting against him. He’s also a big fan of Noni Madueke. He thinks that Madueke can disrupt defences with his one-on-one ability.
What is the realistic target for England?
“England’s World Cup campaigns have been always disappointing, writes Issa Hassan. “What is the target this time?”
Jacob:
Win it! Tuchel, as he said at his unveiling in October 2024, was hired to put a second star on the shirt. They were close under Gareth Southgate. The FA hope that hiring a manager who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 will do the trick. Easier said than done, of course. England will have to do this by playing eight games in 33 days, and in testing weather conditions.
Q&A with England reporter Jacob Steinberg starts now
Our first question, from Ben Watson:
“Who can count themselves the luckiest and unluckiest of all those picked and not?”
Jacob:
The luckiest? Undoubtedly Ivan Toney given even Thomas Tuchel admitted his selection has come as a surprise. However Tuchel looked closely at the Al-Ahli striker’s strengths and believes he can be a useful option to throw on when England are chasing a goal, as well as a potent option if a knockout game goes to penalties. There were other close calls. Tuchel said that Djed Spence could have suffered because of the situation at Tottenham; however it worked out because the full-back played so well against Uruguay in March.
As for the unluckiest, you feel for Adam Wharton after reaching the Conference League final with Crystal Palace. I will carry the flag for Jarrod Bowen. Eighteen goal involvements in the league for a poor West Ham side this season. Morgan Gibbs-White too. He’s had a top end to the season for Forest, but Tuchel did not want to take too many No 10s.
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North Stand at Etihad to be renamed the Pep Guardiola Stand
Manchester City have released details that Pep Guardiola will have a new stand at the Etihad Stadium named after him, and – Football Manager fans will enjoy this – a statue of the Spaniard will be commissioned outside of the stadium.
Here is City’s statement:
Manchester City are delighted to announce that the newly-developed and expanded North Stand at the Etihad Stadium will be named ‘The Pep Guardiola Stand’.
Appropriately, the stand will be fully open for the first time for the Manager’s final game in charge at the Club, the concluding game of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday.
As part of the renaming, a statue of Pep will also be commissioned, and feature on the approach to The Pep Guardiola Stand.
Fittingly located at the end of Joe Mercer Way, The Pep Guardiola Stand will be a new focal point on matchdays.
Acting as a structural backbone, the stand is one part of the new multi-element entertainment district, that also includes the new matchday fan activation space named Medlock Square, a 401-room hotel, a new club museum, retail stores, office space and a variety of restaurants and bars.
Sheikh Mansour:
I said a long time ago that Manchester City should have the very best people at its disposal, both on and off the field. For ten years Pep has been the personification of that ambition.
He has made an indelible imprint on the DNA of the Club. One that is borne more from how he won than from the many trophies he lifted. He has the unending gratitude of myself and the entire City family, a family of which he will always be part.
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Pep Guardiola will give a press conference at 1.30pm BST, just so you know. Cancel your lunch, tell your boss, we’ll bring you all the quotes.
A brief break from England chat to bring you this piece from Jonathan Wilson on Pep Guardiola.
And if you missed Barney Ronay on Guardiola earlier this week, it’s an essential read.
A reminder that we will have a Q&A with one of our England reporters, Jacob Steinberg at 12.30pm. Do get your questions in via email: michael.butler@theguardian.com and Jacob’s answers will appear on this here blog.
Hello, everyone. Cor blimey. What a morning. Onwards!
Here are a few more quotes from Tuchel regarding the news that Alex Scott, Rio Ngumoha, Josh King and will travel to England’s Miami camp before the World Cup.
I am happy that these guys are with us, especially Alex who was even on the list of 55 and had a disappointing phone call as well, that he didn’t make the first cut but the reaction was outstanding. The commitment, the wish to be in pre-camp and to just be a step closer to the team showed me his character. I am delighted he is with us because he was a close call and gets a chance to take a step closer and to get a cap.
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And with that, on this quiet day of nothing happening, here’s Michael Butler.
Merino on comeback trail after needing mobility scooter
Arsenal’s Mikel Merino feared that he might never play again after sustaining a stress fracture in “a very strange part of the foot where not even the specialists had seen before” that left him needing a mobility scooter to get around for two months.
The Spain midfielder is expected to be named in Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup squad next week after returning to training and is hopeful of playing some part in Arsenal’s final game against Crystal Palace on Sunday, when Mikel Arteta’s side will be presented with the Premier League trophy. Merino admitted it has been difficult to watch from the sidelines as his team closed on their first title for 22 years and revealed that he struggled to cope given the uncertainty over the injury at first.
“At the beginning I was a little scared,” he said. “We didn’t know what to expect, what path to take during the recovery and if I was going to be able to play again. The first couple of weeks were tough. I tried to crack on with it, have the right mentality, be positive and with the right motivation to try to go forward. Everything has gone perfectly since.”
Merino added: “I had two options, to go down and cry myself to extinction or keep my head up, be positive and try to use my time to improve other aspects. Working as hard as I can is the way I approach life. With the mobility scooter it’s just trying to bring fun out of it, see the sun. I couldn’t walk for two months. It’s a hard time on crutches. The mobility scooter was a fun way to see the light of day and enjoy time with the dog.”
Ben Watson gets in touch: “Really hard to decide which pick / omission is most surprising, John.
Henderson instead of Wharton? Burn instead of Maguire? Spence instead of Hall / Trent?
Toney instead of Palmer / MGW? Feels like we’re omitting world-class talent for slightly sub-par. Trust the process I guess.”
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England squad Q&A: get your questions in
Jacob Steinberg will be doing a Q&A at 12.30pm BST on that England squad and Thomas Tuchel. Get your questions into me and Michael Butler.
Updated
On Harry Maguire’s omission and subsequent fallout, Thomas Tuchel said he was “a bit surprised” but could “see the reason”: “We had a private conversation and he had a chance to express his feelings, which is fair enough. We stood firmly with our central defenders who carried us in September to November.”
On Pep, here’s Jonathan Wilson.
It would be oversimplistic to say that the other great tactical thinkers who shaped English football had one big idea and then stopped. But, equally, Guardiola stands alone in his willingness to adapt, to tweak and to change. That perpetual inventiveness perhaps lay behind his tendency at times to overcomplicate his approach in the Champions League, but it is also why Guardiola has remained at the very peak of the game for 18 years.
Tuchel on Djed Spence: “Excellent in every single match he played for us. He is the quickest player in the squad and loves defending,”
On his leadership group: “They created a culture, they set the tone, they set the standards created and took care of the standards and we were very happy with that and that is why the maturity of this team and selection is from the players who were with us in September, October and November.”
More Tuchel: “We have specialists with us, specialists for all kinds of different scenarios, when we are leading, when we are chasing a game, a result. We’ve always said we want to be a strong set-piece team, so we have specialists for that and we want to be a strong penalty team, we have specialists for that.”
Back to England, where Thomas Tuchel says that Alex Scott, Rio Ngumoha, Josh King and AN Other will travel to the Miami camp ahead of the World Cup.
Via Manchester City’s website, some words from Pep Guardiola:
“When I arrived, my first interview was with Noel Gallagher. I walked out thinking, ‘Okay… Noel is here? This will be fun.
“And what a time we have had together. Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time. Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City.
“This is a city built from work. From graft. You see it in the colour of the bricks. From people who clocked in early, stayed late. The factories. The Pankhursts. The unions. The music. Simply the Industrial Revolution and how this changed the world. And I think I grew to understand that, and my teams did too.
“We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.
“Hard work comes in many forms. Trips to Bournemouth, when we lost the Premier League, and you were there. Trips to Istanbul, when you were there, too.
“Remember, the Manchester Arena attack, when this city showed the world what strength actually looks like? Not anger. Not fear. Just love. Community. Togetherness. A city united.
“Remember, losing my mum during Covid and feeling this club carry me through it. The fans, the staff, the people of Manchester, you gave me strength when I needed it most. Cris, my kids, my whole family, you were there as always. Khaldoon, you were there too.
“Players don’t forget - every single instant, moment, me, my staff, this club, everything. What we have done, we have done it for all of you. And you have been just exceptional. You don’t know it yet, but you are leaving a legacy.
“So as my time comes to an end, be happy. Oasis are back again.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for trusting me.
“Thank you for pushing me.
“Thank you for loving me.
“Tony Walsh said in his unforgettable poem this is the place. I’m sorry, Tony: this is my place.
“Noel…I was right.
“It has been so f****** fun.
“Love you all.”
Here’s the Guardian story on Pep Guardiola departing Manchester City.
Breaking news: Pep Guardiola to leave Manchester City
From the club: “Pep Guardiola will step down as Manager of Manchester City this summer.
“The Catalan, who joined City in July 2016, has had a transformative effect during his ten years in charge, and will leave having won 20 major trophies - making him the most successful Manager in our history.
“Despite his departure as Manager of Manchester City, Pep will continue his relationship with the City Football Group, by taking up a role as a Global Ambassador. The role will see him giving technical advice to the clubs in the group, working on specific projects and collaborations.”
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Thomas Tuchel on Ivan Toney: “Also a beautiful surprise to us. I had fantastic feedback from his coach, from his club coach who was my player, and I have a close connection with him. I’ve always fantastic feedback about his role there, about his ability, about his fitness. We could see that he still collects the numbers.
“I think he has very special skills that could help us, meaning the situation, the scenario, when we were chasing a result, when we were chasing a goal.
“I think he can be a very valuable addition to Harry Kane. He can be a presence in the box. When we’re pushing for a goal, he can take attention of other strikers. He has a natural presence within the box. He’s a natural finisher. He can help us with said pieces, because he’s very strong in the air. Very good in using his body, and not to forget, he’s a world class penalty taker.“
Tuchel: “Teams win championships, it is as simple as that. What we are trying to achieve in the summer can only be achieved as a team.”
Tuchel is now speaking at Wembley, and issuing his opening remarks. Jason Steele of Brighton is being used as an auxiliary keeper. He’s talking about his squad being committed to the idea of “being unselfish”.
Manchester United confirm Michael Carrick's appointment
Michael Carrick has been appointed the new permanent head coach of Manchester United. The former midfielder has been rewarded with the job on a two-year contract after a successful interim spell, leading the side to third in the Premier League and securing Champions League qualification with three games to spare.
Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January with United seventh in the Premier League and out of both domestic cup competitions. The mood was close to rock bottom at Old Trafford and the task of reversing that appeared substantial. But Carrick got off to an excellent start, leading United to a 2-0 home victory over Manchester City, and has guided the club back to the Champions League after a two-year hiatus, winning 11 and drawing three of his 16 games.
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Jon Collins gets in touch: “That midfield looks a bit short of defensive options. If Anderson picks up an injury can Henderson really play 90 minutes? Or will Rice drop into a deeper position? James Garner may have been an outsider to make the England squad but it’s odd for Tuchel to have picked him, praised his performance, and then dropped him when there is no obvious replacement.”
A message from the England captain.
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Here’s that 26-man England squad in pictures:
Before the England press conference, due for 11am, more Arne Slot, who has made a series of pointed remarks this morning, He was asked if Dominik Szoboszlai could be a captain in the near future.
“Virgil is with us next season, so let us not look ahead too far. He is already a captain for the national team, so that already tells you that he has that in him. But as I said, Virgil is already here next season. The future of a manager is only normally three days, so looking further than that is a bit too much.”
Here’s Jacob Steinberg’s story on that England squad:
That meant the available slots in the No 10 position went to Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze, leaving no room for Palmer and Foden after disappointing seasons for Chelsea and Manchester City respectively. Palmer has struggled for form and fitness, and Tuchel is thought to have reservations over whether the 24-year-old has the personality for a camp that could last seven weeks.
With Morgan Gibbs-White also excluded, Tuchel has not been afraid to make some unpopular decisions. There will be many England fans wondering why Alexander-Arnold has not made the cut. The Real Madrid right-back has not been in a squad since last June, though, and Tuchel has gone on the record to say he does not trust him defensively.
Yet more Thomas Tuchel: “A lot of factors play into that nomination process. Like I said, I love the difficult decisions, and I love the tough decisions – they bring a certain edge. That is what you need to go all the way. It is hard to please. In the end, we have to pick the squad that we as a staff are convinced of and really believe in.
“You feel the love of your coach, and you feel the trust. In the end, it comes down to this – who do we really trust? The connection has to be there. Somehow, it is a bit of a tool to challenge myself. What would I think from the outside? Mostly it is about the energy, connection and trust between me and the players.”
More Tuchel: “Three very different teams. We are able to have a clear picture. A very hard opening game, England v Croatia sounds like a quarter-final game.
“If we win the group we play every fourth day, and it’s like non-stop away matches. We have to be on point with the preparation. Naturally the tension will just grow.”
England have launched their social media campaign, featuring hip, up and coming youngsters the, er Beatles.
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Harry Kane sends in a message, from a rural location, with birds tweeting around him. “Really proud, can’t wait to see you all this summer.”
Tuchel: “This leadership group took massive steps, and they were driving the standards, setting the rules, and Harry was a big part of it.”
Tuchel now getting grilled by the fans. “It is allowed to dream, I can dream for a little time and then you chunk it up and go little by little. At the first camp, we said, let’s try to win it. The focus will now be on the 10 days of pre-camp.
“You could see in the selections, the idea is to stick with this formation. It should be flexible to change our defensive approach. Will we change our structure? I think we will try to stick with what makes us strong.”
More Tuchel: “Decisions were difficult, but someone had to make them … the level of emotion and what it means for players, it was very nice to see … I am sure I made the right choices.”
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Thomas Tuchel: “It’s about picking a very balanced squad.”
On those missing, he confirms he spoke to all of them on the phone: “Difficult phone calls as I respect all of them. All of them deserved a call up. I called all players that have been in camp. In the end we went back to the evidence of September, October, November.
“Did this mean any of them did anything wrong? No.”
He says there was no sense in sending five No 10s and asking them to play different positions.
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Thomas Tuchel: “It’s about the energy and the connection and the trust between me and my players.”
Thomas Tuchel: “We had to pick a squad that we love, and we really believe in. It comes down to who do we really trust? Who set the standards? Who formed the leadership group?”
Thomas Tuchel: “Once the decisions are made it gives you a certain edge, it’s one week we are on the plane, and I can’t wait to coach.”
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The England app now goes to Thomas Tuchel, as he joins the studio, in full Going Live mode. “A lot of phone calls in the last three days,” he begins.
That’s as widely expected, with Toney and Spence the wild cards, Foden, Palmer, Gibbs-White, Wharton the major names omitted.
England, 26-man squad named
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal), Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
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The production includes some England fans. “They better win as I’ve used up all my life savings,” says one of them. They’re all going to North America. Theo and Danny have made different selections from each other. They have clearly not been listening to the news leaking through in the last 18 hours. Theo’s selected Cole Palmer….
Finally got the England app launched – that’s where the squad is being announced. Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge are the panellists. Walcott was the surprise call-up in 2006, and a shock omission in 2010. He missed 2014, where Sturridge was a starter, with a knee injury.
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Will Salah be in Liverpool’s team; they really need a result against Brentford: “I never say anything about team selection so it won’t surprise you I’m not going to do that now.”
Samuel Dodson gets in touch: “On the surface, this squad looks like Tuchel has taken a lead out of the mad hatters book and demanded everyone change places as he tries to shake things up. It’s true of course there have been questions hanging over certain England mainstays like Maguire for some time; but one thing that hasn’t seemed in doubt is that those players have formed a core bond of camaraderie which is seemingly the hardest thing to build in international football. If you look at some successful teams over the years, what stands out about the likes of, say, Germany was how consistent their squad selections were. Was it the case that Muller et al were always the most on form German players on the planet? Or was it that their managers recognised familiarity among the squad had greater benefits?
“The instinctive reaction is to feel that such a number of seemingly random call ups (is Spence really the best English player in that position even on form right now?); is to feel it will lead to broken, unbalanced football with players unfamiliar with one another. But then very few of us commentating are Champions League-winning elite-level managers, so I’ve gotta trust Tuchel on this! Hats off to him and would we all like some tea?”
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More Slot on Salah: “Mo was really happy with the style we played last season when we won the league. We both want Liverpool to compete for trophies.”
Ouch.
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Slot on Salah and social media: “I don’t think it is that important what I feel about it.
“What it is important is that we qualify for the Champions League on Sunday, and I prepare Mo and the rest of the team to be ready for the game in the best possible way. That is what matters.
“I was very disappointed after our loss against Aston Villa, because a win would have given us qualification for the Champions League - which we didn’t do. Now there is one game to go and it’s a vital one for us as a club.”
Arne Slot is doing his final Liverpool press conference – of the season, not forever, despite social media speculation – and congratulated the champions, Arsenal: ““Let me congratulate Arsenal on winning the league. Winning it here in England is never easy and they have done a tremendous job. 40% of their goals have come from set-pieces. Football has changed and evolved.”
Joshua Keeling gets in touch: “This squad is just bizarre. Spence, Toney, no Maguire, no Palmer, no Gibbs-White. I already thought we’d struggle at this World Cup, but I’m even more convinced now. Rubbish.”
Krishna gets in touch: “Modern football is brutal. And to be the manager of English national team is akin to having a root canal without anesthesia. Every thing is measured by the results. No one would care for the process. Gareth Southgate endured it for so long and it is now Tuchel’s turn. By July, Tuchel’s stint with Chelsea will appear a rose-tinted garden in hindsight. Reach Semis or beyond ,
Remember him? If you follow the A-League, you still know all about him.
There is a time in your career where you start getting older and sometimes it takes more effort to get up in the morning, to go to training, and after last season in Sydney – I enjoyed very much the league, the lifestyle and everything but I didn’t play so much – I was thinking what I wanted to do with my life. But Melbourne Victory appeared and again I fell in love with football.
Barney Ronay on social media makes a pertinent point: “Harry Maguire: anatomy of how NOT to make a case for being the perfect 7-week back-up squad member. No need for Tuchel to explain now. We all save five mins.”
Spence gets the England call
The final man in the 26 is Djed Spence, the Tottenham full back. He can play on both flanks so offers versatility. There is no Trent Alexander-Arnold in the England squad.
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Ivan Toney’s selection for England, should it come to pass, is the wild card. The sense is that, as a player in Saudi Arabia, he’s used to great heat. Plus, he’s a whizz at penalties.
Sholto Maud gets in touch to express what seems a popular sentiment: “Flabbergasted is a word that comes to mind, John.”
Another farewell: Andy Robertson and Liverpool, expected to arrive at Tottenham, relegation dependent.
“We were on the most amazing journey ever, all together,” he reflects. “When we started out Mo Salah didn’t sign as the best player in the world or the best winger in the world. Virgil van Dijk had the potential to be but wasn’t the best centre-back in the world. Alisson wasn’t the best goalkeeper in the world. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] wasn’t the best right-back in the world. Hendo [Jordan Henderson] was still trying to find his feet as captain. We were all just on this journey from the bottom to the very top together and climbing that mountain was the best feeling ever.”
One last spin for 10 things to look out for:
Farewell Pep, thanks for coming. What a decade it has been at Manchester City, where their head coach has changed the course of English football for ever. Kids are desperate to play out from the back and technique, for a long period, was favoured over physique. Like when Jürgen Klopp left Liverpool, it will be a sad day for the Premier League, not that opposition fans will admit it. Nor will they be too bothered that Bernardo Silva is on his merry way too, having distinguished himself as one of the smartest operators to have graced the league, while being incredibly consistent over nine years. The Portuguese bows out with John Stones, who at his best is one of the finest defenders in world football, but has been held back by injuries during his career. City fans will miss all three but it feels like everyone should take a moment to acknowledge their achievements. Will Unwin
Probable 26-man England squad
David Hytner and Jacob Steinberg have done their analysis and made their predictions on the final 26.
Here’s their probable squad:
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford Everton, Dean Henderson Crystal Palace, James Trafford Manchester City
Defenders: Reece James Chelsea, Tino Livramento Newcastle, John Stones Manchester City, Marc Guéhi Manchester City, Ezri Konsa Aston Villa, Dan Burn Newcastle, Jarell Quansah Bayer Leverkusen, Nico O’Reilly Manchester City, Djed Spence, Tottenham
Midfielders: Jordan Henderson Brentford, Elliot Anderson Nottingham Forest, Declan Rice Arsenal, Kobbie Mainoo Manchester United,
James GarnerEverton, Jude Bellingham Real Madrid, Morgan Rogers Aston VillaForwards: Bukayo Saka Arsenal, Noni Madueke Arsenal, Eberechi Eze Arsenal, Marcus Rashford Barcelona, Anthony Gordon Newcastle, Harry Kane Bayern Munich, Ollie Watkins Aston Villa, Ivan Toney Al-Ahli
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The latest England squad news, via David Ornstein and a number of other reporters, is that Trent Alexander-Arnold has been omitted, and Djed Spence is in; Spence is also reported to have broken his jaw after a collision with Liam Delap of Chelsea on Tuesday.
Here’s what we know so far on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad:
Maguire was the first to go public about being left out, with the defender taking to social media to express disappointment over failing to make the cut, but the most eye- catching omissions came in the attacking areas. Foden and Palmer have had underwhelming seasons for Manchester City and Chelsea respectively and their struggles meant they fell behind the other No 10s at Tuchel’s disposal. Morgan Gibbs-White, who has enjoyed a strong end to the season with Nottingham Forest, is also likely to miss out.
Tuchel has been bold with his selections and nothing is more striking than his decision to turn to Toney for the first time in 12 months. The former Brentford striker, who now plays for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, was part of England’s squad at Euro 2024 but has not made an international appearance since coming on as a substitute in the friendly defeat by Senegal last June.
It had been unclear whether Tuchel would decide to pick a conventional striker to provide cover for Harry Kane. In the event he is expected to have three strikers on the plane when England head to Florida for their pre-tournament training game on Monday week, with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins expected to compete with Toney for minutes behind Kane. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke and Danny Welbeck have not done enough.
Preamble
Good morning, football. World Cup fever is here, and it’s been a feverish night of news on who *isn’t* in the England squad. And further news has been broken overnight, of which more later. The big announcement comes at 9.45am UK time.
Not only that, there’s a the Premier League’s final day, and the Championship playoff final – Hull v Middlesbrough, to confirm – is on Saturday, too.
A huge day of news. Join me.
