Kyle Walker is expected to edge closer to winning his 100th England cap by starting in Thomas Tuchel’s first match in charge against Albania on Friday night.
Tuchel delayed telling his squad the team for his first match in charge, but Walker is understood to be in line to start at right-back and win his 94th cap for his country.
The 34-year-old has suffered a challenging season, moving to AC Milan from Manchester City, but Tuchel clearly values his leadership.
Elsewhere, Marc Guehi may be a surprise absence, along with Levi Colwill, which could see Dan Burn make his England debut alongside Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa.
Burn was a surprise inclusion in Tuchel’s squad, but the 32-year-old has performed superbly for Newcastle United this season and could win his first cap.
Tuchel is expected to start with a back four, rather than a three.
Harry Kane will captain the team and start as striker, but Tuchel is yet to name an official vice-captain with Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, who will start in midfield at Wembley, among the candidates.
Asked about his vice-captain, Tuchel said: “No. I have heard about the subject. I thought, ‘Oh, they ask me and I haven’t thought about this’, but then I thought it’s not so important at the moment.
“We have a captain and line-ups will change at the moment from camp to camp. And this is more a subject when we know each other better and I will maybe name a group of players that is the leadership group and from there comes the vice-captain.”
Tuchel can only name a 23-man match-day squad for World Cup qualifiers, which means he has had to leave out Aaron Ramsdale, Jarell Quansah and Morgan Gibbs-White, who was a late addition to the 26-man squad.
