On Friday morning, Thomas Tuchel will name his first England squad since the World Cup. The announcement signals the start of the journey to the home European Championships in 2028.
England have four Nations League matches across the extended international break, with Spain coming to Wembley on Sept. 26. England then travel to Czechia (Sept. 29) and Croatia (Oct. 3), before welcoming Czechia to Wembley on Oct. 6.
Thomas Tuchel has been spotted at various matches around the country as he casts his eyes over potential candidates for a call-up.
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Among other games, he was there to witness Tottenham's 0-0 draw with Everton, Fulham's 3-2 loss at home to Crystal Palace and he was at Chelsea's win over Brighton, soaking in the action next to Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti.
We saw him at Manchester City's win at Crystal Palace, and also at the premiere of season two of MobLand, though don't expect Tom Hardy to be among the names on Friday. Here are a few players whose early-season form will have turned Tuchel's head.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea) -- Forward
Palmer has made an outstanding start to the season alongside his pal Morgan Rogers in Chelsea's front three. Palmer was omitted from the World Cup squad over the summer and used the break to rest and recalibrate.
He's back to his best, with two goals and two assists in the top flight, alongside a brace of goals in the Carabao Cup. Everything's going brilliantly for him, apart from getting his Twitch account suspended.
Phil Foden (Manchester City) -- Forward
Foden was another big-name omission in the summer, but he looks far livelier this season under Enzo Maresca than he did last term. He had that controversial red card in last weekend's Manchester derby but you feel he's springing into life and recapturing his best form.
Lewis Hall (Newcastle United) -- Defender
Hall was one of the bigger-name omissions from the World Cup squad in the summer and his absence was much-lamented as England went through all their issues at fullback.
Hall is one of the best left-backs in the league, with his form rewarded with a new bumper deal at Newcastle. He will surely be back in the international frame for the forthcoming internationals.
Alex Scott (Bournemouth) -- Midfielder
Like King, Scott was part of the pre-World Cup crew. He was linked with several of the Premier League big fish over the summer, and has made a great start to the season with Bournemouth. He's chipped in with a goal and an assist so far, and should feature in Tuchel's squad on Friday.
Josh King (Fulham) -- Midfielder
King was one of the extra players taken by Tuchel to England's pre-World Cup camp so he's clearly a fan. In what's been a difficult start to the season for Fulham, King's form has been one of the more positive aspects. He's already scored twice in the top flight, with his technique, vision and sharp runs posing a frequent threat.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United) -- Forward
Calvert-Lewin was thereabouts with the World Cup squad, but ultimately, Tuchel went with Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney as back-ups to Harry Kane. With both Watkins and Toney in Saudi Arabia, Calvert-Lewin is impressing right under Tuchel's nose.
He's already got three goals this season and couldn't have done much more to force his way back into the England mix.
Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal) -- Midfielder
There was a time last season when it looked like Lewis-Skelly was going to be frozen out at Arsenal. But he found his feet in midfield late in the season and has kept his place this time around.
He can play on both sides of defence, but looks at home in the middle of the park. His versatility is so handy and he should be back in the mix.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Everton) -- Midfielder
Dewsbury-Hall has made a solid start to the season with Everton, and scored in their opening-round win over Crystal Palace. He was on England's long list for the World Cup and is in the mix for this camp.
"I know I'm the closest I have ever been now," he said in a recent interview with The Guardian. "It's a good feeling because you think: 'OK, I am close,' but you know you have to keep pushing it to the last minute. It's up to me. It's got to be me that forces his hand to choose me. It's not going to be given to me."
Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool) -- Forward
Ngumoha was there alongside Scott and King in America to help England prepare for the World Cup, and impressed in their warm-up win over New Zealand.
Liverpool have made a topsy-turvy start to life under Andoni Iraola but Ngumoha, 18, has done well, starting against Newcastle and Atletico Madrid, and featuring off the bench versus Nottingham Forest and Fulham.
Left-wing was another problem position for England in the summer and Ngumoha will look to state his claim there with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Gordon.
Max Dowman (Arsenal) -- Midfielder
Tuchel's been asked about Dowman before. Pre-World Cup, the incredibly talented teenager was being mooted as a potential bolter for the tournament, but Tuchel and his club coach Mikel Arteta are both carefully managing Dowman, 16, and his astonishing potential.
But it's difficult to keep a lid on the hype. Dowman started in Arsenal's 4-2 win over Ipswich in the Carabao Cup and scored twice for good measure.
Senior international football may take a while longer, but he's the sort of player who gets brought into England camp to get accustomed to the environment before being given his debut a little later on.
