London, March 20 (IANS) England head coach Thomas Tuchel has named a 35-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies against Uruguay and Japan on Friday, with experienced defender Harry Maguire making a notable return to the national setup.

Maguire, who has earned 64 caps for England, returns to the squad after missing out on selections since Tuchel took charge on January 1, 2025. The Manchester United centre-back has impressed at club level this season, playing a key role in his side’s improved domestic form and push for qualification in the UEFA Champions League.

The squad also includes rising talent Kobbie Mainoo, as England build towards the upcoming World Cup. Midfield star Jude Bellingham has also been included despite a recent injury layoff, while Trent Alexander-Arnold misses out.

Explaining his decision to name a larger squad, Tuchel said, “We decided to divide it into basically two camps almost, so we bring players in that we haven’t seen who haven’t played so much to open up the picture, and the competition for plane tickets to the US.

“Then from Friday and Saturday, a group of players will come into camp – ten or eleven players who get a rest before and we will then go with a new group and mix of players into the match against Japan,” The head coach added.

England will host both matches at Wembley Stadium later this month, before facing New Zealand and Costa Rica in June friendlies. The team is scheduled to open its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia on June 17 in Dallas.

England last lifted the World Cup trophy on home soil back in 1966 by defeating West Germany 4-2 at Wembley. They have since reached the semi-finals twice in 1990 and 2018, while also playing five quarter-finals. England would look to end the 60 year drought in the upcoming tournament hosted by USA and Mexico.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Henderson, Pickford, Ramsdale, Steele, Trafford.

Defenders: Burn, Guehi, Hall, Konsa, Livramento, Maguire, O’Reilly, Quansah, Spence, Stones, Tomori.

Midfielders: Anderson, Bellingham, Garner, Henderson, Mainoo, Palmer, Rice, Rogers, Wharton.

Forwards: Bowen, Calvert-Lewin, Eze, Foden, Gordon, Kane, Madueke, Rashford, Saka, Solanke.

–IANS

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