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LiverpoolTeenage forward Rio Ngumoha will leave the England camp this week having made a big impression on Thomas Tuchel and his international team-mates.
The 17-year-old, who is not in England’s 26-man squad, was named man of the match for his debut performance as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s 1-0 World Cup warm-up win over New Zealand.
England play their final pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday and it will be interesting to see if Tuchel picks Ngumoha again.
The England manager will have a full squad to choose from since his arrival Arsenal Quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eje and Noni Maduke.
But the starting line-up against Costa Rica is expected to be close to the team that will play the World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17, which is unlikely. Arsenal Players will start.
So, can Ngumoha be given another chance before he and England go their separate ways?
The original squad will travel to their World Cup base in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday after playing a behind-closed-doors training game against local team Miami United.
Ngumoha will go on vacation before returning to the US next month LiverpoolIts pre-season tour.
D Liverpool The attacker was one of five supplementary England players taken to the pre-tournament camp in Florida. Arsenal Among the players who later reached the final of the Champions League.
Ngumoha was only meant to take part in training, however, Tuchel was so impressed that he was forced to play him during the first warm-up match – a decision that proved surprising.
That performance led to claims that Ngumoha should have been in Tuchel’s thoughts from now on, either to be included in the final 26, or first in-line for a call-up should a player be injured before the start of the tournament.
Although Ngumoha was not included in Tuchel’s initial 55-man squad for the tournament, he cannot be included as an injury replacement.
Speaking in March, Tuchel refused to rule out picking the teenager for the tournament – so not picking him in the extended 55-man pool seems puzzling.
