Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri has been confirmed as the fourth and final outfield player to join England’s World Cup training camp in Florida to help with preparations.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel named his final 26-man squad on Friday, but also called up a young trio – Liverpool forward Rio Ngumoha, Fulham’s Josh King and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott – to train with the squad at the start of the camp. Brighton’s Jason Steele has additionally been named as a ‘training goalkeeper’.
The preparation camp, which is due to begin on 1 June when England fly to Miami, will feature two friendly games against New Zealand and Costa Rica.
Their inclusion is partly due to the Arsenal contingent in the squad – Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze – joining late because of their involvement in the Champions League final on 30 May.
Tuchel was initially tight-lipped on who would be the fourth and final addition, saying on Friday: ‘We will take some young players who will train with us and keep the squad at the size we need, so we have all the possibilities for the two friendly matches to manage the minutes and load of the players.
‘Alex Scott is confirmed, Rio Ngumoha is confirmed, and Josh King, and there will be one more player which we cannot name.’
Nwaneri, 19, has been at Arsenal since the age of eight and made his Premier League debut against Brentford on 18 September 2022, becoming the youngest player to appear in the top flight of English football at 15 years and 181 days old.
He has spent the second half of this season on loan at Marseille, where he has struggled for consistent game time amid a turbulent campaign for the French side and the departure of manager Roberto De Zerbi by mutual consent in February.
Nwaneri has started just three of Marseille’s 16 games in the second half of the season, scoring twice – the first coming on his debut against Lens.
While Nwaneri’s involvement with the senior set-up was never really in doubt, his preparation camp team-mate Scott will have been disappointed to miss out on the main squad after receiving his first senior call-up for the final two World Cup qualifiers of 2025.
‘I am happy that these guys are with us, especially Alex, who was on the list of 55 and had a disappointing phone call as well when he didn’t make the first cut.
‘But his reaction was outstanding – the commitment and desire to be in the pre-camp and be a step closer to the team.
‘It was not even a question for him. It showed me his character and his spirit, and I am delighted he is with us because it was a close call. He gets a chance to take a step closer and earn a cap.’
Seventeen-year-old Ngumoha, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the Premier League’s standout breakthrough talents this season, making 18 appearances and contributing two goals and one assist for Liverpool.
Midfielder King, meanwhile, is another rising star, featuring 31 times for Fulham and registering one goal and two assists this campaign and is just 19 years old.
