England manager Thomas Tuchel has sent shockwaves through the football world with his squad selection for the 2026 World Cup, brutally axing a host of established, out-of-form tournament veterans.

Longtime defensive anchor Harry Maguire is among the high-profile casualties left off the plane to North America, sparking furious reactions on social media from his family. Reports suggest Tuchel felt Maguire’s ego wouldn't handle a non-starting role. Even more controversial is the complete omission of superstars like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Lewis Hall, and Morgan Gibbs-White, News.Az reports, citing Sport Bible.

Yet, 35-year-old midfielder Jordan Henderson somehow survived the ruthless cull—and a newly emerged statistic makes his inclusion look like an outright typo. Critics have been quick to point out that the veteran has essentially lived by the mantra of "you can't be in bad form if you have no form."

Data reveals that the Brentford midfielder has accumulated a mere 38 minutes of competitive football since suffering an injury while captaining England in a March friendly against Uruguay. That half-hour of game time was split across just two brief substitute appearances against Manchester City and Crystal Palace.

The Midfield Pecking Order: Henderson was named alongside Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, and Kobbie Mainoo as the deep-lying midfield options heading to the tournament this June, successfully beating out regular Premier League starters like Adam Wharton and James Garner.

The decision has left England fans entirely baffled, with many taking to social media to vent their frustration on behalf of Crystal Palace's Wharton. "Adam Wharton sitting on a beach so we can take this guy along for vibes. Outrageous," one supporter pointed out.

Whether Tuchel views Henderson as a genuine tactical piece or simply highly values his dressing-room leadership as a content non-starter remains to be seen. Henderson will get one final domestic run-out this weekend as he returns to Anfield with Brentford, hoping to keep the Bees' outside chances of securing a European spot alive.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada