Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, once England's future at number 10, have both missed the World Cup squad due to declining form. Palmer, 22, was England's player of the year last season with 37 Premier League goals in two seasons at Chelsea. Foden, 23, won the senior PFA award but both players have struggled to maintain their sparkle and brilliance that made them automatic selections.

Foden hasn't scored since a purple patch before Christmas when he netted six goals in five games. Palmer managed only nine goals in 25 Premier League appearances this season. Despite Morgan Gibbs-White being the joint top English scorer in the Premier League with 14 goals, he didn't impress Tuchel enough in competitive matches against teams like Andorra. The England coach has shown current form trumps reputation when selecting his squad.

Arsenal's Eberechi Eze appears to have won the number 10 battle with seven goals and two assists in the Premier League, plus three goals in six World Cup qualifiers. Eze offers pace and unpredictability that Bellingham and Rogers cannot. When given a chance against Uruguay with Harry Kane absent, Foden failed to make an impact and was substituted early, with Palmer replacing him. That moment likely sealed Tuchel's final decision about his squad composition.