Thomas Tuchel has announced that Alex Scott, Josh King, Rio Ngumoha and Ethan Nwaneri will link up with the England national team for two pre-World Cup friendly matches.

Tuchel has already finalised his 26-member squad for the tournament to be held in North America, but certain players will join the camp later due to ongoing club commitments.

Arsenal stars Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke are set to play in the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on 30 May, which will delay their arrival at the England camp. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson will feature in the UEFA Conference League final on 27 May.

England are scheduled to travel to Florida for their World Cup preparations, where they will play friendly matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica on 6 and 10 June respectively.

To maintain a full training group and manage player workloads effectively, Tuchel has opted to bring in four young prospects and one experienced professional to participate in the friendlies and training sessions.

Nwaneri, aged 19, has been called up after spending the latter half of the season on loan with Marseille in Ligue 1.

Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott has had an impressive campaign and was part of the initial 55-man longlist for England’s World Cup squad. Fulham’s Josh King and Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha have also caught attention with their performances in the Premier League.

A statement released on England’s official channels confirmed: “Ethan Nwaneri will join our Three Lions preparation camp in Florida ahead of the FIFA World Cup.”

The young midfielder made 12 senior appearances for Arsenal this season before his loan move to France, where he featured in 10 games, six of them as a substitute.

Additionally, Tuchel confirmed that Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele will join the squad as a training goalkeeper, a role he has previously fulfilled for the national side.

Tuchel explained, “We will take some young players who will train with us and keep the squad at the required size so that we have all options available for the two friendly matches, allowing us to manage playing time and workload efficiently.”

He added, “Alex Scott is confirmed, Rio Ngumoha is confirmed, and Josh King too, along with one more player whose name we can’t reveal yet as it’s not finalised. I’m very pleased to have these players with us, especially Alex, who was part of the 55-man list but missed out initially. His reaction showed great character and commitment—he was eager to join pre-camp and get closer to the team. It was never in doubt for him, and that attitude says a lot about his spirit. I’m delighted he’s with us as it was a close call, and now he has the chance to move one step nearer to earning a cap.”

The England squad, excluding those involved in European finals, will assemble in Palm Beach on 1 June.

Tuchel’s team will then play their two preparatory fixtures—against New Zealand in Tampa and Costa Rica in Orlando—before shifting to their World Cup base in Kansas City on 13 June.

England’s World Cup campaign will begin in Group L with a match against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June, followed by games against Ghana in Boston on 23 June and Panama in New Jersey on 27 June.