Tuchel ranks Maguire fifth among England centre-backs
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- Thomas Tuchel placed Harry Maguire fifth in his England centre-back pecking order, naming Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, John Stones and the injured Trevoh Chalobah ahead of him
- Maguire made his first England appearance under Tuchel in Friday's 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay, playing the second half as captain in what Tuchel called a "solid, solid central-defender play" display
- Tuchel said he "hasn't changed my mind" about the ranking, though he praised Maguire's aerial ability, set-piece threat and passing — including a 70-yard ball to Jarrod Bowen noted by Sky Sports' Lewis Jones
- John Stones was sent back to Manchester City after feeling a calf in training and will miss Tuesday's Japan friendly; he has played just five club matches since the November international break
- Tuchel called Stones "world class" with "credit in the bank" and said he could make an exception on playing time for the World Cup, but added "if you come to the World Cup, you should be fit"
- Seven players — Aaron Ramsdale, Fikayo Tomori, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Adam Wharton, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka — were released from the England camp before Tuesday's match against Japan
- England host Japan at Wembley on Tuesday (7:45pm kick-off) in their final friendly before Tuchel names his World Cup squad at the end of the season, with the tournament opener against Croatia on June 17
Why it matters: With the squad announcement weeks away, Tuchel is signaling that Maguire's captaincy audition didn't shift the pecking order — the United defender must still outperform four rivals to make the 26-man cut. Stones' fitness crisis compounds the issue: England open against Croatia on June 17, and their two most experienced centre-backs are both fighting for readiness.
