Micah Richards lists Thomas Tuchel's three mistakes as England boss slammed

Former England full-back Micah Richards has claimed that Thomas Tuchel has made an error by leaving out either Cole Palmer or Phil Foden from his World Cup squad - while also suggesting that Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold should not have been omitted. All were surprising absentees for the tournament in North America.

In their place, the England manager has opted for the likes of Jordan Henderson, Dan Burn and Djed Spence, all of whom will be eager to play their part when the Three Lions begin their campaign against Croatia on Wednesday night (9pm kick-off).

England are among the last sides to get their tournament underway, with the World Cup having officially begun on Thursday, when joint hosts Mexico ran out 2-0 winners over South Africa. Canada then took centre stage on Friday as they faced Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Prior to that match, the discussion in the BBC studio turned to Tuchel's squad selections. Presenter Gabby Logan said: "Tuchel has talked a lot about building that culture, hasn't he, and he's left out some very talented players in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer and of course Harry Maguire has been left out for Dan Burn.

"So do you agree with that? Is that a philosophy that you can understand?

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Richards responded: "I agree in terms of him as a coach and tactically he seems to always get it right, but I don't agree in terms of the squad that he's picked because I would have had at least Phil Foden or Cole Palmer in there because in tournaments obviously there's moments.

"Cole Palmer can come up with a great moment at any time. Maguire's tried and trusted as we know. Trent I probably would have taken as well but the difference is he wants players who probably are not going to sulk, and I'm not saying that about the top players in terms of they'll become a problem.

"I'm not saying that they're expected to start but if you look at the squad that he's picked...is Henderson expected to start? probably not. Burn, Spence, Livramento and even Toney.

"They're happy being second fiddle and knowing their role within the squad so I understand why he's done it. I don't necessarily agree with it."

Both Palmer and Alexander-Arnold endured a difficult season in terms of form at Chelsea and Real Madrid, while Maguire was a regular fixture in the Manchester United starting line-up when fit. Following confirmation of his omission from the squad, the United defender took to social media to release a statement.

"I was confident I could of played a major part this summer for my country after the season I've had," he said. "I've been left shocked and gutted by the decision.

"I've loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer."

Tuchel is aiming to become the first manager to guide England to World Cup success in 60 years. Should he achieve this feat, he would also make history as the first foreign manager to lead a nation to World Cup glory.