Newcastle: Why Harvey Barnes could replace Phil Foden for England after Thomas Tuchel’s admission
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Credit: Imago Thu 2 April 2026 9:30, UK Newcastle United forward Harvey Barnes made his second-ever appearance for England last week, almost six years after his debut.The 28-year-old has been rewarded for a fine season at St James’ Park, despite mounting trouble for Eddie Howe.The Englishman has failed to guide his team to back-to-back successful seasons, with the Magpies currently languishing at 12th in the Premier League table.Barnes has been a shining light throughout, however, and his performances have placed him in contention for this summer’s World Cup.The winger’s Newcastle form had seen him tipped to switch allegiances to join up with Scotland, but he has kept his confidence in an international career with England. ⚽ Newcastle Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Newcastle United fixture. VISIT THE NEWCASTLE MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Harvey Barnes making case for his World Cup inclusionBarnes came on against Uruguay last week, replacing Marcus Rashford for the final 20 minutes as England chased a goal.The Three Lions would take the lead but were ultimately held when Federico Valverde scored from the spot in stoppage time.
Harvey BarnesChampions League 2025-26Appearances12Goals6Assists4Big chances created7Fouls won12Touches in opposition box67Barnes did not make much of an impression, but Tuchel will be well aware that it is the winger’s numbers for Newcastle he should be looking at.Particularly in the Champions League, in which the 28-year-old enjoyed a stunning campaign. The forward notched six goals and provided four assists as the Magpies got to the last 16, where Barnes scored and assisted against Barcelona over the two legs.
The forward is certainly not Tuchel’s best option technically, but he provides something many others cannot – cutting-edge. Having a player capable of grabbing a goal or providing an assist from nowhere is a luxury that managers, at both the club and international level, cannot afford to pass up on.Thomas Tuchel’s casts Phil Foden doubtBarnes and several other forwards hoping to secure a spot on England’s plane to North America this summer received a boost when Tuchel spoke about Phil Foden this week.The Manchester City midfielder failed to impress in both matches for England during this break and has struggled to get in Pep Guardiola’s side of late, too.Well, it’s not a guarantee that he will come,” said Tuchel when asked about Foden’s place in the squad going to the World Cup.“Obviously he didn’t have a lot of minutes for City recently, then he came to camp with the brightest smile and was so good in training,” he added.“And I thought he will just surprise us and will play with the same verve and excitement but, yeah, he struggles to have the full impact.”Barnes’ ears will prick up at hearing such comments, but the winger must now produce perhaps the finest seven games of his season if he is to catch the German’s eye.