Lewis-Skelly gets 1st call-up 

©TM/IMAGO

This month new England manager Thomas Tuchel will take charge of his very first games, as the Three Lions take on Albania and Latvia at Wembley in World Cup qualifiers. On Friday Tuchel named his very first 26-man England squad. It was one of the most anticipated in years, as fans got their first glimpse of what life under the German’s guidance may look like, and there are certainly some shocks. Tuchel has been spotted at Premier League stadiums up and down the country in recent months, as he weighs up who to include in his initial selection, and we now know which players he didn’t quite fancy, and which stars caught his eye.

The German has certainly thrown a few shocks, with first call-ups for Arsenal left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Newcastle centre-half Dan Burn. Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson, and Reece James have also all been recalled to the set-up. Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah is another surprise inclusion given his lack of games time for the Reds this term. There are also some notable omissions such as James Maddison, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jarrad Branthwaite and Adam Wharton.

Surprise inclusions in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad

Rashford last represented England a year ago in March 2024, and since then has had a tough year. Frozen out at Manchester United, he made a loan move to Aston Villa in January and has started brightly with four assists in his opening nine games. However, he has still failed to score for the Villains and it was largely expected that this squad would come too soon for the talented attacker. Nevertheless, Tuchel is obviously a huge fan, and it will will certainly provide a timely confidence boost for the 27 year old. Similarly, Henderson has made 81 caps for England, but it seemed to many that his Three Lions career was over after he moved to the Saudi Pro League in 2023. He has since moved to Ajax, but hasn’t been involved for England for over two years. His inclusion is without doubt a shock, but Tuchel is obviously keen to lean on his experience.

Full-back James is also one many perhaps wouldn’t have expected given his injury record and lack of game-time, but having worked with the right-back at Chelsea, Tuchel knows his talent and has given him the nod. Lewis-Skelly has emerged as one of the brightest young talents in the Premier League for Arsenal this season, and Tuchel was actually present when the 18 year old scored his first senior goal for the Gunners in a 5-1 victory over Manchester City in February. He receives his first ever call-up and is actually the only natural left-back in the squad. The other first-ever call-up is maybe more of a shock: 32 year old Burn has never been included in a Three Lions squad but in the twilight of his career he may now finally get his chance.

Most valuable players excluded from latest England squad

As well as some astonishing inclusions, there have been some stars left out that may be very disappointed. When we collate the most valuable stars to have not made Tuchel’s initial squad (excluding those who are injured or unavailable), as illustrated in the graphic below, we can see that the most valuable omission is Tottenham playmaker James Maddison (€60m). He is then followed by Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens (€50m), and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish (€45m). One of the most startling players left out is Gibbs-White, given his superb season for Nottingham Forest and the impact he made for the Three Lions in the last international break.

There are some other decisions that may leave some fans scratching their heads such as the omission of defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who is seen by many as the future at centre-half for England. He may be surprised to see the likes of Burn and Quansah chosen ahead of him. Crystal Palace midfielder Wharton may also feel hard done by to see Henderson picked ahead of him in midfield. There are also many stars who are unavailable to Tuchel through injury this March, such as Bukayo Saka, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ollie Watkins.