Tuchel’s biggest mistake? Wharton shines after England omission

It certainly came as a surprise when England boss Tuchel chose to leave Wharton out of his 26-man squad heading into the World Cup.

Palace may not have had a great season domestically, given they finished 15th in the Premier League and were eliminated from the FA Cup by non-league Macclesfield – but they have now won a European cup and Wharton has had quite an impact on that.

This Conference League final performance was another reason to wonder why Wharton wasn’t on the plane.

The decision to select 35-year-old Brentford midfielder Henderson over 22-year-old Wharton may be the most notable and surprising choice.

It’s clear that Henderson was chosen for her experience, but if you compare her performances not only this season but also last season, Wharton probably has a lot more to give on the field.

“I understand why the manager took Henderson, but for me, if he’s going to do that kind of job, take him as a coach,” Hoddle said. “Consider him a player-coach if you want, but I think there was a place there for Wharton.”

Mainoo’s re-emergence at Manchester United did not help Wharton either; The Palace midfielder has been part of Tuchel’s squad over the last two international seasons and featured in qualifiers against Serbia and Albania before a friendly against Uruguay in March.

Given that Mainoo was frozen out at Old Trafford by Ruben Amorim in the first half of the season, he did not feature under Tuchel until the March friendlies and has now gained his favor.

Both were at Euro 2024 but Mainoo started all four qualifying matches, including the final, while Wharton never took to the field.

Arsenal’s Declan Rice is certainly one of the first names to feature in the squad and Elliot Anderson is expected to partner him, while Tuchel also has Bellingham, Eze and Rogers as midfield options.

Even though Tuchel has plenty of options in that position, leaving someone like Wharton at home certainly feels like a harsh decision.