By Louis Nixon

Across the past few international breaks, Jarrod Bowen has been called up for England numerous times, yet despite any injuries elsewhere, it seems it’s almost impossible for him to secure a starting slot.

The winger slot in the England squad is one of the most competitive areas on the pitch, seeing as you have Bowen himself, Saka, Madueke and Rashford. Out of all wingers, Bowen has received the lowest amount of gametime, yet has had better form than all of the other wingers…

Tuchel evidently has his favourites, and his perception of Madueke overrides the stats of Bowen and makes the Arsenal forward the favourite to either play or be brought on. 

It begs the question: Will Bowen be called up for the 2026 World Cup? You’d imagine that the Premier League form he had would spark enough to bring him into Tuchel’s selection, but on the flip side, he would likely not be called up, considering how limited Tuchel uses him once he’s there, and with Madueke returning from injury, it wouldn’t come as a shock to see him as the preferred selection. 

Whilst most players see it as an honour to be called up by England, you’d suspect that Bowen would be rather annoyed, seeing as he’s relentlessly putting in the work in training and isn’t selected and despite his Premier League form, it still doesn’t warrant an opportunity for him to start. 

Tuchel’s biased perception is clouding his judgment, and Bowen’s 121 minutes played in 4 matches simply don’t do him justice. Against Latvia on the previous international break, he registered an assist and created the most chances out of any player on the field, despite being on for only 30 minutes.

For England and for the 2026 World Cup, Bowen could prove to be vital… he also knows how to score in those crucial ‘crunch-time’ moments!