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Wayne Rooney has delivered a brutal assessment of Jack Grealish’s chances of making England’s World Cup squad.
Grealish was overlooked again for Thomas Tuchel’s most recent Three Lions squad, missing Thursday night’s 2-0 win against Serbia at Wembley, a result that kept England’s flawless qualifying run intact.
Despite Anthony Gordon pulling out through injury, Thomas Tuchel still chose not to recall the Everton loanee, who has not featured for his country since the German took charge.
The 30-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to life in Merseyside, producing five goal contributions in the Premier League and playing the type of football that once made him a fixture under Gareth Southgate.
Yet none of it has shifted Tuchel’s thinking, with only one international break left before the squad is named for next summer’s tournament in North America.
It’s therefore unlikely, in Rooney’s view, that Grealish has much hope of representing his country at another World Cup next year.
Wayne Rooney has delivered a brutal assessment of Jack Grealish’s chances of making England’s World Cup squad
Grealish is yet to be selected for an international squad since Thomas Tuchel’s appointment
‘Jack Grealish may as well book his holiday for the summer now because he’s not getting into the squad,’ Rooney said on the Wayne Rooney Show.
‘You think Andy Gordon dropped out and he still doesn’t get called into it, so I think Thomas Tuchel is quite set.’
Rooney also argued that this camp should have been used to test other forwards rather than lean again on Harry Kane, who played from the start despite England already being safely through.
I think this international break was the perfect opportunity just to say to Harry Kane, “Go and have a week’s holiday”. He doesn’t need to be there,’ Rooney added.
‘He’d want to be there but you need to take that option away from him and then it’s an opportunity for Thomas Tuchel to look at players and see what they can do.’
Tuchel instead tried Phil Foden through the middle after bringing him on for Kane in the second half. The Manchester City star impressed in the role and set up Eberechi Eze’s late goal, adding another angle to Tuchel’s growing list of options.
After the match, the England boss made it clear that he was comfortable using Foden as a No. 9 if needed and praised the depth behind Kane.
‘If Phil stays in his shape and form, I have no problem (playing him as a No 9). I have some other options in mind that I don’t want to discuss in public,’ he said.
Grealish is yet to be called up to an England squad since Thomas Tuchel took charge earlier this year
Don’t forget we have Ollie Watkins and (Danny) Welbeck, (who are maybe) more No 9s, also different options to Harry.
“We have many options but it will probably be about who is in shape, what we have in the squad and how we share the minutes, who we play and what we expect from the match.”
Grealish, meanwhile, is unlikely to add to his 39 caps any time soon. He last featured for the Three Lions in October 2024, having been brought back into the fold under temporary boss Lee Carsely after being omitted from Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad.
