Recently, The Athletic published a special article analyzing players who have performed outstandingly in the Premier League recently - Reece James, Mason Mount, and Phil Foden - who have regained form after overcoming injury troubles, and explored the positive significance of their timely recovery of competitive level for head coach Thomas Tuchel's preparations for the 2026 World Cup. The article points out that the return of these three players not only strengthens the team's squad depth but also provides Tuchel with more tactical options in key positions.
When Thomas Tuchel agreed to take over as the head coach of the England national team, he knew well that he had players under his command who were capable of making a mark in next summer's World Cup.
His task is to build on the foundation laid by his predecessor Gareth Southgate and lift a major trophy. Tuchel has not shied away from this challenge, as he is well aware that the England team has the strength to achieve this goal.
Despite the decreasing number of eligible players in the Premier League, Tuchel still took on this daunting task because he believed that the quality of the existing players was sufficient to turn this lofty ambition into reality.
Previous England managers may have held the same view, but the biggest unknown is: when it comes to major tournaments, how many top players will they have who are fit and in peak condition?
Tuchel is also pondering the same question at this moment, especially after the just-passed weekend, when several candidates emerged from injury and fitness issues and once again demonstrated their capabilities.
Reece James, in Chelsea's home clash against league leaders Arsenal, persevered for over 50 minutes while his team was down to ten men, and his performance has won widespread acclaim.
James has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, limiting the development of his obvious talent. He won the Champions League with Chelsea under Tuchel in 2021. Despite questions about his physical capabilities, especially the recurring hamstring issues, his ability is beyond doubt. When he is fit, he is England's first-choice right-back. The problem is just that he doesn't stay fit for long enough.
Now, he seems to have once again become the kind of player the England team expects him to be. In the match against Arsenal, he demonstrated that under Enzo Maresca's system, he can excel even when deployed in a midfield role, showcasing the qualities of a well-rounded footballer. There are even views suggesting that his performance has even surpassed that of Declan Rice, currently England's best midfielder.
This season, he has started 12 matches for Chelsea in various competitions, 9 of which were in the Premier League. In contrast, he only started 12 times in the Premier League last season. Similarly, James has made 6 appearances for the England national team in 2025, which is equal to the total number of appearances he made in 2022, 2023, and 2024 combined.
If James can maintain his current form, and more importantly, stay in good physical condition and avoid injuries, he will play an important role next summer.
Mount's once-promising career has also been hampered by injuries and a decline in form, but he proved himself to be the decisive winner in Sunday's match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace. More importantly, this was his first time playing the full 90 minutes in a Premier League game since leaving Chelsea in 2023.
When Tuchel was in charge at Stamford Bridge, Mount played a key role and provided an assist for Kai Havertz in the 2021 Champions League final victory over Manchester City. At that time, Tuchel said Mount was a key player for Chelsea, but by 2023, his form began to decline. After Tuchel's departure, Mount's injury troubles began to surface, and he eventually underwent surgery for a pelvic injury.
After joining Manchester United, injury problems have persisted, and his national team career has completely stalled. His most recent (a total of 36) appearance for the England national team dates back to the quarter-final of the World Cup against France in December 2022. Since then, he has almost become a forgotten man. At 26 years old, if he can maintain sufficient attendance, his prime years should still lie ahead.
Under Tuchel, the attacking midfield is brimming with talent, making Mount's return to the national team a challenging journey. However, if he can continue to improve based on his match-winning performance at Selhurst Park, he still has a chance to rejoin the competition. After all, Tuchel knows Mount's capabilities better than any other coach. He once enabled Mount to reach his best at Chelsea and may also be eager to replicate this with the England team.
Among the attacking midfielders expected to play a significant role next summer, Phil Foden of Manchester City is one of them. Similar to James and Mount, Foden is also regaining form after suffering injury problems at the start of this season.
Phil Foden was troubled by an ankle injury at the start of this season and has since been working hard to catch up and strive to regain his best form. Although he has not yet reached the highest level of being a game-decider, Pep Guardiola's insistence on using the 25-year-old player shows Foden's importance to the team. Foden has started 10 Premier League and 3 Champions League games. Although his direct goal contributions have not been many, in Saturday's game against Leeds United, he returned to his best form, scoring the goal that opened and sealed a much-needed 3-2 victory.
Manchester City has been overly reliant on Erling Haaland for goals this season (his 14 league goals account for the majority of the team's 27 goals), while other players have struggled to contribute goals. In fact, Phil Foden is the second-highest scorer in the team, with 3 goals in the league and 2 in the Champions League respectively. So far this season, no other player at Manchester City has scored more than 1 goal in the Premier League.
Similarly, the England team also relies on captain Harry Kane to contribute most of the goals. But Thomas Tuchel seems to be formulating a backup plan in case something happens to the Bayern Munich forward, and Phil Foden could be an option as a "false nine". Other goal-scoring sources will be crucial, especially if Kane gets injured. However, Kane is not the only player that Tuchel is praying to stay healthy and in hot form.