Arsenal youngster to join England’s World Cup squad preparation in Florida
By Luke Oluoch, May 23, 2026Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri has been added to the list of youngsters who will travel to Florida with the England squad as a training player for their preparation camp.
The England U21 ace, currently on loan at Marseille, joins Bournemouth’s 22-year-old midfielder Alex Scott, Fulham’s teenage sensation Josh King, and Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, who were confirmed among the other players to join up with England’s pre-World Cup training preparations.
Manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed the addition of the youngster who is set to gain massive experience for these young ballers, despite not being part of the World Cup-bound 26-man squad.
The players are set to bolster the training ranks and add training numbers while Arsenal’s players prepare for the Champions League final on Sunday, May 30, 2026.
This comes after Tuchel defended his selection for the World Cup that saw him leave out big names for the upcoming global football showpiece in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
The German left out Harry Maguire, who has been a mainstay under the previous coach, Gareth Southgate. Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Phil Foden.
Responding to the uproar after his call-ups, Tuchel stated that team spirit and commitment to duty were the most influential factors in his decision-making, rather than simply picking individually talented players.
Committed players
“I can assure every fan that we have 26 players who are 100 per cent committed. We are building the best possible team, which doesn’t necessarily mean just collecting the 26 most talented individuals. Teams win championships; it is as simple as that, and what we are trying to achieve this summer can only be achieved as a team, he said.
“We chose a balanced squad: three goalkeepers, nine defenders for four positions, seven midfielders for three positions, and seven strikers for three positions.”
The Three Lions are in Group L alongside Panama, Ghana, and European rivals Croatia in the 2026 edition in America.