MANCHESTER CITY boast the most stars of any club in England’s 26-man World Cup squad.
Defender Kyle Walker was touch-and-go due to injury but he makes the squad along with four other City players.
Fellow defender John Stones, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden have also been named in Gareth Southgate’s squad, as has another injury-hit star Kalvin Phillips.
Citizens boss Pep Guardiola confirmed Phillips would be fit for the World Cup and the midfielder came off the bench to make his first appearance since September against Chelsea on Wednesday.
No club match City for number of players in the squad but Newcastle are a surprise close second with three.
Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope are mainstays of the squad but they have now been joined by Callum Wilson, who is somewhat of a surprise inclusion.
Eddie Howe said the striker was desperate to go to the World Cup and he has been rewarded for his return of six goals in ten Premier League games – with strikers Tammy Abraham and Ivan Toney missing out.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United also have three players each in the squad, with Marcus Rashford returning to the Three Lions set-up.
He has not made an England appearance since the Euro 2020 final but is joined in the squad by United pair Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, while Jadon Sancho has not made the cut.
Another player returning for the first time since the Euros is in-form Arsenal defender Ben White.
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Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale from the Gunners also feature while Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling represent Chelsea.
Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton, West Ham and Borussia Dortmund also have players in the squad, as do Leicester with James Maddison.
Maddison’s inclusion comes amid some fine performances for the Foxes as he has helped drag Brendan Rodgers’ side off the bottom of the Premier League.
And it means he is set to add to the solitary England cap he won against Montenegro in 2019.
