Four months and three weeks after he was appointed, Thomas Tuchel is about to give us our first taste of what his England team looks like.
The German has a 55-man list that needs to be whittled down to 26 for two World Cup qualifiers, and his selections will no doubt be feted ... as well as debated.
Gareth Southgate's long reign meant his squads became generally predictable, with the 54-year-old placing his trust in a core group of players who helped the team reach two major finals before ultimately falling short. Lee Carsley's short run as interim coach brought evolution rather than revolution, with the under-21s boss handing debuts to eight newcomers with a view for the future.
But Tuchel signed an 18-month contract that will come to an end after the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and while the FA are open to a longer relationship, the deal is a clear indicator that both parties have an eye on the short term.
With Tuchel's focus placed squarely on a tournament taking place next summer, he may put faith in experienced but out-of-form players who have proved they can make an immediate impact. But that would overlook several uncapped stars who have risen to the fore since the last international break in mid-November and could help England end 60 years of hurt.
Here's some of the key decisions that Tuchel will have to make before naming his first squad on Friday:
Will Rashford return?
Once a shoo-in for every England squad, Marcus Rashford's drop-off in form at Manchester United has seen him overlooked by his country for almost an entire calendar year amid repeated accusations of a lack of professionalism from United boss Ruben Amorim.
The loan move to Aston Villa in January was designed to help Rashford return to his eye-catching best and the coming of Spring has coincided with the first green shoots of recovery for the forward. Villa head coach Unai Emery has managed Rashford's minutes so far, but he is beginning to show flashes of those trademark bursts of pace and cutting edge off the left wing. Rashford notched his fist two assists for his new club in the win over Chelsea and looked in fine fettle during Villa's Champions League round-of-16 success against Club Brugge on Wednesday.
Rashford's chances likely depend on Tuchel's choice of formation for his England team. The 51-year-old has typically favored a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 during his trophy-laden coaching career thus far, with the exception of the back three with wing backs he opted for at Chelsea. If Tuchel implements the latter with England then Rashford's hopes of returning to the national setup would be limited.
Does Grealish have a chance?
Another player who has fallen out of favor for club and country in recent times, Jack Grealish has found game time difficult to come by in a struggling Manchester City team.
His stunning performances at boyhood club Villa made him the darling of English football during the European Championships in 2021 and he scored in the opening game of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but a lack of form saw him miss out on Southgate's Euro 2024 squad. Things haven't improved for Grealish in the time since and he has endured a season to forget at the Etihad.
Grealish has failed to find the back of the net in the Premier League this season and has started just six of City's 28 matches in 2024-25. His regular spot on the bench means he has lacked opportunities to catch Tuchel's eye, so his inclusion in the former Bayern Munich manager's squad appears unlikely.
Arsenal youngsters to earn first caps?
In what has ultimately been a somewhat disappointing season for Arsenal -- a possible Champions League triumph notwithstanding -- the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly (18) and Ethan Nwaneri (17) have been definite reasons for optimism.
Nwaneri has taken full advantage of the injury-enforced absences of Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard, scoring eight goals in all competitions on his way to becoming a key member of the Arsenal squad. His pinpoint finishing and jinking runs arrowing in from the right look set to earn him plenty of international caps in the future, but will March's fixtures come too soon for the young attacker?
Southgate always preferred players to move through the age groups before making their bow for the senior side but Tuchel may not be so patient, especially when he needs to fill a Saka-shaped hole on England's right flank.
If Nwaneri is rewarded with a first senior cap, he would become the seventh-youngest player in English history. He will turn 18 on the same day that Tuchel's side host Albania at Wembley -- a very happy birthday on the cards, perhaps?
Lewis-Skelly, although nominally a midfielder in Arsenal's academy, has taken to playing at left-back in Mikel Arteta's team like a duck to water. His standout display in January's 2-1 north London derby win, combined with his Erling Haaland copycat celebration in the win over City, cemented his place in the hearts of the Arsenal faithful and hinted at a player unbowed by the pressures of elite football.
While he has lacked discipline at times, Lewis-Skelly's consistent displays and a lack of competition for the left-back spot means the teenager looks well-set to receive his first England callup.
Elsewhere, Ben White could return to the England fold for the fist time since he left the 2022 World Cup in Qatar early. Tuchel has said he will reach out to White in a bid to end his England exile, claiming a "clean start" is required for all players as takes over.
White has been out after undergoing surgery on a knee problem in November, but he has come off the bench against West Ham and Nottingham Forest in the recent weeks and made his first start in Arsenal's win over PSV Eindhoven in midweek.
Other contenders: Delap? Elliott? Gittens?
A host of young stars have also been making their case for inclusion in Tuchel's squad and could receive a phone call from the new England boss ahead of Friday's team announcement.
Chief among the uncapped hopefuls is Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. Harry Kane will surely be the undisputed first choice No. 9 for Tuchel -- his prolific season under the German at Bayern last season all but confirms that -- but the England captain's long term successor is the subject of fierce debate.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins and Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke appear best-placed to back up Kane for the time being, but Delap's 10 goals in 26 starts in a struggling Ipswich team has caught the attention of some of the Premier League's biggest clubs and Tuchel is likely to have taken notice too.
It's hard to believe that Harvey Elliott has not made a senior England squad since making his Premier League debut at Fulham as a 16-year-old in 2019, but the midfielder was overlooked by Southgate and Carsley even as he earned regular minutes under Jürgen Klopp at Anfield. Elliott has found game time harder to come by under Arne Slot this season, and a broken foot has not helped his cause. England's plethora of attacking midfield options will not help his chances of earning minutes as a senior international.
Jamie Gittens' displays at Borussia Dortmund have led to calls for his inclusion in the national team. The 20-year-old has 11 goals in 38 appearances in Germany, but he has gone off the boil lately and has failed to find the back of the net since a 4-2 loss to Holstein Kiel on Jan. 14.
If there's an area of the pitch most likely to include a host of new faces, it's certainly in the England defence. Tosin Adarabioyo has impressed since signing for Chelsea last summer and could join teammates Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah in the 26-man squad. Chalobah was a particular favorite of Tuchel's during his 17-month spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Spurs right-back Djed Spence has been a rare bright spark in the north London club's dismal season and could challenge Lewis-Skelly for a left-back spot, while Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has kept an eye-popping 25 clean sheets in the Championship this season.
The outsider
It would certainly set tongues wagging, but seeing Danny Welbeck's name among the 26 isn't quite as far-fetched as it might initially seem.
Only four English players (Cole Palmer -- 14, Watkins -- 13, Delap -- 10, James Maddison -- 9) have scored more goals than the 32-year-old (7) this season and the Brighton striker is in good form. Welbeck's two goals and two assists in his last four matches include two winners against Bournemouth and Newcastle.
Welbeck made his last appearance for England in a 1-0 friendly win over Switzerland in November 2018. He has 16 goals in 42 appearances for the Three Lions and has featured in three major tournaments. Stranger things have happened.
Tuchel's 26-man squad is guaranteed to be spearheaded by the likes of Kane, Jude Bellingham and England's other established stars, but the decisions the new head coach makes in other areas of the team will provide a clear window into his thinking as preparations for the 2026 World Cup begin to ramp up.
Will it be more of the same? Or is it time for something completely different?