The England World Cup squad AI boffins would have picked: TEN of Thomas Tuchel's stars miss out – but are there finally spots for Phil Foden and Cole Palmer?

The rise of artificial intelligence is undoubted – and now it’s shown who should have been picked in England’s World Cup squad based on the stats.

Thomas Tuchel named the 26 players he will be taking to North America last week, but only 16 of the players the German has gone with would have been selected by technology platform PLAIER.

The PLAIER system uses a database of more than 300,000 footballers across more than 200 countries to correlate data and provide precise analysis.

Players are selected in the AI squad based on the likeliness of success on the pitch as a team, rather than individual quality.

Some of the names included are high-profile omissions, including Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, as well as the likes of Harry Maguire, Adam Wharton and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Tuchel opted to omit Foden and Palmer, saying he doesn’t know Foden’s best position and Palmer has lacked form. According to the AI technology, though, the duo should be in. 

If the technology was picking the squad, then both Phil Foden (left) and Cole Palmer (right) would have made the cut

They would be included at the expense of Morgan Rogers, while Jordan Henderson and Kobbie Mainoo would also not be on the plane. Curtis Jones is also in the AI squad.

And, while the AI selection matches Tuchel’s in terms of the wingers and strikers on the plane, there is a stark difference in defence.

On the plane are Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, Jarrel Quansah, Dan Burn and John Stones. If it was down to AI, however, only one of those names should have been selected: Guehi.

Instead, James Tarkowski and Lewis Dunk would have got the nod, alongside Maguire. At full back, meanwhile, Tuchel picked Reece James, Djed Spence, Tino Livramento and Nico O’Reilly, with only James and Livramento in the AI squad.

There is no place for breakthrough star O’Reilly, with Lewis Hall named in the squad, and Alexander-Arnold would have been on the plane too.

Finally, Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson are in both squads, while Nick Pope is in over James Trafford in the AI group.

Tuchel’s men will fly out to North America in a few weeks, with England’s first game on June 17 against Croatia.