Paul Scholes says England have ‘no chance’ of winning World Cup without three players

England may have qualified for the World Cup but Paul Scholes says they have ‘no chance’ of winning the tournament unless Thomas Tuchel brings his ‘three best players’ back into the squad.

The Three Lions thrashed Latvia 5-0 on Tuesday night to secure qualification for next summer’s World Cup with two group games to spare.

England captain Harry Kane scored twice and Premier League stars Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze were also on target in an emphatic win over Group K minnows Latvia.

Ex-Chelsea boss Tuchel is hoping to lead England to their first major trophy in men’s football since 1966, having been appointed as Sir Gareth Southgate’s successor last year.

England reached two European Championship finals and two World Cup semi-finals under Southgate but failed to end the nation’s long wait for silverware.

As has become customary in recent years, England made light work of their qualifying campaign and, given the strength and depth in English football, are one of the favourites to win the World Cup.

But ex-England midfielder and Manchester United legend Scholes says the Three Lions have ‘no chance’ unless Tuchel brings his ‘three best players’ back into the fold.

Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish were the notable absentees from England’s latest squad and Scholes was ‘baffled’ by their omission.

‘I was a little bit surprised. Those three players, they have to be in his squad and they will be in his squad for the World Cup,’ Scholes said on The Overlap.

‘If you look at the squad now, you would say they have virtually no chance of winning the World Cup. Even with those three players it’s still a big ask but it gives you more of a chance of winning the cup.

‘Jude Bellingham has missed a little bit of football but he’s fit now so I would have brought him back in.

‘Thomas Tuchel hasn’t got many games left now until the World Cup actually starts, it’s only the November break and then the March one and then we’re there so we need to get these players playing.’

Bellingham underwent surgery on a shoulder problem over the summer but had returned to action for Real Madrid before being left out of Tuchel’s latest England squad.

Tuchel insisted he had ‘no problem’ with Bellingham when announcing the squad and it is inconceivable that the midfielder will not be part of England’s travelling party next summer.

Foden and Grealish face more uncertain futures for England despite both enjoying revivals this season, the former for Manchester City and the latter on loan at Everton.

Discussing their absence on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes added: ‘I don’t agree with it because the England squad in this international break isn’t going to win the World Cup.

‘Now look, it’s still a mountain to climb with those three players in there but it makes the squad better, they have to be in it. They’re England’s best three players so I’m baffled by it.’

Fellow former England star Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, believes Tuchel was ‘sending a message’ not only to the overlooked trio but the entire squad with his decision.

‘I think he’s done something we see more in club management than international football and he’s actually sending a message to his squad,’ the Liverpool hero said.

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‘He knows Bellingham is going to be in his squad and nine times out of ten he will be on the team but he’s sending a message to not only Bellingham but all the players.

‘It wasn’t a great start to Thomas Tuchel’s reign so I think he was sending a message to the players with those calls and I actually don’t mind that.

‘There was something happening there that he wasn’t entirely happy with so he’s sent a little message to the squad. I think that’s fine.’

England play their final two World Cup qualifiers during the November international break, playing host to Serbia before visiting Albania.

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